ce/papers最新文献

The increasing diffusion of timber as a structural material asks for major detailing concerning numerical modelling; timber is commonly used with other construction materials in order to create hybrid structures exploiting each material's strengths and smoothing less efficient features. In this way – combining timber and steel – structural performances are guaranteed while lightness and sustainability of only-timber structures are maintained. Some specific issues linked to timber material – e.g., orthotropic behaviour – and contact with steel are specifically addressed, exploring different techniques according to the scale of the problem. Finally, a complete steel-timber hybrid beam-to-column joint is assembled, with a clear understanding of each interaction and insights for future adjustments to the benchmark model.

This paper presents different criteria, requirements, and possibilities of steel and composite structures in rehabilitation and intervention of existing buildings. Firstly, the characteristics of the materials and techniques of the original building are studied, which are necessary for undertaking the structural analysis. Secondly, the specific conditions of each building are considered in accordance with the criteria and current standards. Thirdly, the possibilities of metal and composite structures in the rehabilitation and intervention of existing buildings are described, with recent projects developed by the authors highlighting their potential and versatility throughout the entire process.

Over time, as the bridge deck pavement deterioration process increases, the calculated vertical translational displacements and stresses are higher. In this context, the chances of mechanical failure occurrence increase and may cause limitation in the service life of steel and composite (steel-concrete) bridges. Thus, the current work presents a methodology for fatigue analysis developed by the authors through the years. The methodology is devoted specifically for the assessment of composite bridges employing the hot-spot local S-N approach and a coupled vehicle-pavement-bridge system considering progressive pavement deterioration with stochastically generated roughness profiles.

Wood is a popular material in civil engineering due to its renewability and ability to store carbon during the growing in forests. However, the LCA of wood-based materials is currently based on the balance of carbon without considering the dynamic changes of forests over time and the effects of climate change, like wildfires, on this balance. Hence, this paper is the first step towards the development of a dynamic LCA of forests considering climate change effects on the carbon balance of forests. The paper focusses on the life cycle analysis of sandwich panels with a core made of wood fibers, based on current databases, and aims to illustrate the importance of biogenic carbon in the whole life cycle of such panels, particularly when compared with other traditional panels.

The results of an experimental program on lap joints of thin gauge sheets connected by spot welding and MIG brazing are compared to the design code provisions. The results show the dependency of the spot weld lap joints resistance on the thickness of the connected sheets, while the MIG brazed lap joints resistance depends on the minimum thickness of the steel sheets connected. A statistical interpretation of the results shows the accuracy of the joint resistance. The coefficient of variation of the spot weld specimen is smaller than the one for the MIG brazed specimen, while the resistance of the spot weld is higher than the MIG brazed specimen when compared to the nominal resistances.

Within the recent studies that are being carried out in the structural health monitoring of bridges, it has been observed that the results of the modal damping ratio can be influenced by some ambient variables and significantly depend on the calculation method that is adopted. In this paper, the main conclusions obtained in the study of the dynamic behaviour of a real structure, the viaduct “Arcos de Alconétar”, in Spain, whose main span is a long metal arch, is reviewed. With this aim, the results obtained from the instrumentation installed during the initial months after its traffic opening are analysed.