Numerical analysis of compressed components of beam-to-rectangular hollow section column moment resistant steel joints

Dissertação de Mestrado em Construção Metálica e Mista apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e TecnologiaHollow sections appear to be very attractive from the architectural and structural point of view. They exhibit high aesthetic performance along with significant resistance to compression, bending and torsion. Additionally, hollow sections show higher durability and corrosion resistance comparing to opened sections.However, connecting to hollow sections is a demanding procedure. The absence of the access to the interior void of hollow sections leads to the necessity of developing appropriate types of joints which would allow to balance design, fabrication, erection and operation stages with the overall project cost.The range of possible connections of beams to hollow sections is already invented. Nevertheless, there is always a challenge to develop connection types with improved characteristics. The present thesis is a part of the wider research of beam-to-rectangular hollow section column moment resistant joint subjected mainly to the action of the bending moment. The main research project is divided into three parts, investigation of compressed components of the joint, tension components of the joint and the global joint. Each part contains experimental tests, numerical modeling and analytical characterization of the joint behaviour. The goal of the thesis is to investigate the behaviour of compressed components of the joint by numerical modeling. Numerical results are further validated by comparison to experimental data. Numerical simulations are carried out by DS Simulia Abaqus software. The thesis includes numerical analysis of four models corresponding to experimental specimens which represent compressed components of the joint. After the calibration of obtained results the parametric study is implemented for 104 numerical models more. The parametric study aims to investigate the behaviour of the components for the extended range of geometrical variation.The result of the present thesis is the information about resistance and stiffness of the compressed components of the joint based on the force - displacement response which is obtained for the total number of 108 numerical models.Hollow sections appear to be very attractive from the architectural and structural point of view. They exhibit high aesthetic performance along with significant resistance to compression, bending and torsion. Additionally, hollow sections show higher durability and corrosion resistance comparing to opened sections.However, connecting to hollow sections is a demanding procedure. The absence of the access to the interior void of hollow sections leads to the necessity of developing appropriate types of joints which would allow to balance design, fabrication, erection and operation stages with the overall project cost.The range of possible connections of beams to hollow sections is already invented. Nevertheless, there is always a challenge to develop connection types with improved characteristics. The present thesis is a part of the wider research of beam-to-rectangular hollow section column moment resistant joint subjected mainly to the action of the bending moment. The main research project is divided into three parts, investigation of compressed components of the joint, tension components of the joint and the global joint. Each part contains experimental tests, numerical modeling and analytical characterization of the joint behaviour. The goal of the thesis is to investigate the behaviour of compressed components of the joint by numerical modeling. Numerical results are further validated by comparison to experimental data. Numerical simulations are carried out by DS Simulia Abaqus software. The thesis includes numerical analysis of four models corresponding to experimental specimens which represent compressed components of the joint. After the calibration of obtained results the parametric study is implemented for 104 numerical models more. The parametric study aims to investigate the behaviour of the components for the extended range of geometrical variation.The result of the present thesis is the information about resistance and stiffness of the compressed components of the joint based on the force - displacement response which is obtained for the total number of 108 numerical models