EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION ON STRENGTH OF ECCENTRICALLY LOADED STEEL SQUARE HOLLOW SECTIONS

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the design and the behavior of steel SHS under eccentric loading. The study begins with experimental works carried out on SHS under eccentric loading. Numerical simulations of tests are carried out using finite element program, ANSYS V.17. Geometric imperfections are included in the numerical model. Numerical results have a good agreement with test results obtained herein. Parametric study is then carried out using a wide range of non-dimensional slenderness ratios, width-to-thickness ratios and load eccentricities. Assessment of numerical and test results obtained herein with current AISC code equations revealed compatibility of current design equations with test and numerical results for non-compact sections. However, for slender sections, the code equations are indeed conservative compared to test and numerical results by 30 % in some cases especially at slenderness ratio less than 1.0. Numerical results revealed that current design equations for eccentrically loaded slender SHS must be revisited. Numerical and test results were used to proposed a new set of design equations to provide better representation of strength and behavior of slender eccentrically loaded SHS compared to current equations adopted by AISC code. Disclaimer I hereby declare that this thesis is my own original work and that no part of it has been submitted for a degree qualification at any other university or institute. I further declare that I have appropriately acknowledged all sources used and have cited them in the references section.

Name: Bassem Mohamed Dawod Date: / / 2021

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