| The introduction of stainless steels can offer a fundamental solution to the corrosion and maintenance problems for carbon steel structures and provide comprehensive understanding of the life cycle cost,which is owing to the desirable corrosion resistance,durability and favourable environmental adaptability,enabling its promising structural applications.In view of the distinct differences in material properties between the stainless steel material and ordinary carbon steel,the performance of stainless steel structures should be separately studied.However,significantly fewer studies were reported on the structural behaviour of stainless steel beam-to-column joints,and the design method for which was not incorporated in the technical specification for stainless steel structures in China,hobbling the application of stainless steel structures.In this paper,the structural behaviour of stainless steel end-plate beam-to-column major-axis and minor-axis joints subject to monotonic and cyclic loading was thoroughly investigated by combination of experimental test,numerical simulation and theoretical analysis,based on which novel design proposals were presented.The following research studies were reported in this dissertation:(1)The material properties of all plates and bolts used in the fabrication of joint specimens were experimentally determined from standard tensile coupons tests.A series of experimental tests on twelve beam-to-column major-axis joints under monotonic and cyclic loading were completed,including ten stainless steel joints and two carbon steel benchmark specimens.The failure modes and load-carrying capacities were acquired,and the monotonic behaviour and seismic performance of joints were analysed.Moreover,the obtained structural properties of major-axis joints were further utilised to evaluate the accuracy and applicability of current design provisions in the existing design codes.(2)The experimental tests of major-axis joints were replicated by elaborate finite element(FE)analysis,and the accuracy of numerical models was verified against the obtained experimental results.By means of validated FE modelling technique,the influences of key parameters on the structural behaviour of stainless steel beam-to-column major-axis joints were explored.A series of FE models were developed to cover major-axis joint specimens under both monotonic and cyclic loading.Based on the obtained experimental results and numerical simulations,the modified formulae for stainless steel end-plate beam-to-column major-axis joints were proposed.(3)Both monotonic and cyclic loading tests on four stainless steel beam-to-exterior column minor-axis joints and another four stainless steel beam-to-interior column minor-axis joints were conducted,where the interior column joints were strengthened with box panel zone.The structural properties of minor-axis joints under monotonic and cyclic loading were obtained,and the performance of the connection and the panel zone was discussed in detail.(4)The elaborate FE models were generated to simulate the monotonic and cyclic loading process of stainless steel minor-axis joints,and the reliability and applicability of which were verified against the obtained experimental results.Afterwards,the effects of key parameters on the load-carrying capacity of minor-axis joints were explored by conducting comprehensive parametric studies,including beam-to-exterior column minor-axis joints and minor-axis joints with box panel zone.According to the component method,the load-carrying capacity of stainless steel minor-axis joints was theoretically analysed,together with the proposed formulae developed for predicting the structural properties. |
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