Experimental testing of joints for seismic design of lightweight structures: part 1: screwed joints in straps

Connections in x-braced shear walls play a crucial role in the seismic performance of lightweight structures: they should be strong enough to allow energy dissipation via plastification of the diagonal straps. An extensive experimental research on tensile screwed joints between straps is reported here. Two dominant failure modes are identified: (1) tilting and net section failure (T+NSF) and (2) tilting, bearing and pull out (T+B+PO). The analysis in terms of strength and ductility shows that T+NSF joints are suitable for seismic design, because the straps yield before the connections fail. T+B+PO joints, on the contrary, are not suited because the connection fails before the straps can yield. The influence of various design parameters (strap thickness, number and diameter of screws, steel grade) in the failure mode is studied, and design criteria to induce a T+NSF response are given.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Experimental testing of joints for seismic design of lightweight structures. Part 3: gussets, corner joints, x-braced frames

An experimental campaign on joints of x-braced frames is presented. Tests are performed on strap-gusset joints and lower and upper corner joints. Many different phenomena and failure modes are observed in these tests. However, it is possible to see that only one failure mode can be accepted if a good seismic performance of the frame needs to be guaranteed: the net-section failure of the diagonal strap after yielding. The results of the tests also allow to establish a set of recommendations for seismic design of joints. The effectiveness of these recommendations is verified by means of two final tests on complete x-braced frames. A full explanation on the behaviour of the joints and frames tested is included, together with a description of the special test set-up developed for the experimental campaign.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Atopic dermatitis and indoor use of energy sources in cooking and heating appliances

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) prevalence has considerably increased worldwide in recent years. Studying indoor environments is particularly relevant, especially in industrialised countries where many people spend 80% of their time at home, particularly children. This study is aimed to identify the potential association between AD and the energy source (biomass, gas and electricity) used for cooking and domestic heating in a Spanish schoolchildren population. Methods: As part of the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) phase III study, a cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted with 21,355 6-to-7-year-old children from 8 Spanish ISAAC centres. AD prevalence, environmental risk factors and the use of domestic heating/cooking devices were assessed using the validated ISAAC questionnaire. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (cOR, aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained. A logistic regression analysis was performed (Chi-square test, p-value < 0.05). Results: It was found that the use of biomass systems gave the highest cORs, but only electric cookers showed a significant cOR of 1.14 (95% CI: 1.01-1.27). When the geographical area and the mother’s educational level were included in the logistic model, the obtained aOR values differed moderately from the initial cORs. Electric heating was the only type which obtained a significant aOR (1.13; 95% CI: 1.00-1.27). Finally, the model with all selected confounding variables (sex, BMI, number of siblings, mother’s educational level, smoking habits of parents, truck traffic and geographical area), showed aOR values which were very similar to those obtained in the previous adjusted logistic analysis. None of the results was statistically significant, but the use of electric heating showed an aOR close to significance (1.14; 95% CI: 0.99-1.31). Conclusion: In our study population, no statistically significant associations were found between the type of indoor energy sources used and the presence of AD

Experimental analysis of local buckling in slender webs of steel plated columns

Con el fin de analizar el comportamiento de pilares armados metálicos sometidos a compresión frente a cargas concentradas y evaluar su capacidad resistente, se ha llevado a cabo una campaña de ensayos experimentales sobre pila­res metálicos con sección en doble T, variando el ancho de las alas. Previamente se midieron las imperfecciones reales de las placas que constituían el alma y alas de cada pilar, para poder evaluar la influencia de las imperfecciones en la respuesta estructural y en la capacidad resistente de los pilares metálicos ensayados. La instrumentación mediante galgas extensométricas y transductores de desplazamiento permitió realizar un seguimiento exhaustivo de la respuesta tenso-deformacional de los elementos ensayados durante el desarrollo de los experimentos. Los resultados derivados de la experi­mentación permiten extraer conclusiones relativas a la distribución de tensiones en el alma en fase postcrítica (ancho efi­caz), a la influencia de la rigidez de las alas sobre el fenómeno de la abolladura y sobre la capacidad resistente de los pilares y al modo de rotura que tiene lugar en este tipo de estructuras frente a cargas concentradas ("patch loading").Postprint (published version

Experimental testing of joints for seismic design of lightweight structures. Part 3: gussets, corner joints, x-braced frames

An experimental campaign on joints of x-braced frames is presented. Tests are performed on strap-gusset joints and lower and upper corner joints. Many different phenomena and failure modes are observed in these tests. However, it is possible to see that only one failure mode can be accepted if a good seismic performance of the frame needs to be guaranteed: the net-section failure of the diagonal strap after yielding. The results of the tests also allow to establish a set of recommendations for seismic design of joints. The effectiveness of these recommendations is verified by means of two final tests on complete x-braced frames. A full explanation on the behaviour of the joints and frames tested is included, together with a description of the special test set-up developed for the experimental campaign.Peer Reviewe

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Experimental testing of joints for seismic design of lightweight structures. Part 3: gussets, corner joints, x-braced frames

An experimental campaign on joints of x-braced frames is presented. Tests are performed on strap-gusset joints and lower and upper corner joints. Many different phenomena and failure modes are observed in these tests. However, it is possible to see that only one failure mode can be accepted if a good seismic performance of the frame needs to be guaranteed: the net-section failure of the diagonal strap after yielding. The results of the tests also allow to establish a set of recommendations for seismic design of joints. The effectiveness of these recommendations is verified by means of two final tests on complete x-braced frames. A full explanation on the behaviour of the joints and frames tested is included, together with a description of the special test set-up developed for the experimental campaign.Peer Reviewe

Experimental testing of joints for seismic design of lightweight structures: part 1: screwed joints in straps

Connections in x-braced shear walls play a crucial role in the seismic performance of lightweight structures: they should be strong enough to allow energy dissipation via plastification of the diagonal straps. An extensive experimental research on tensile screwed joints between straps is reported here. Two dominant failure modes are identified: (1) tilting and net section failure (T+NSF) and (2) tilting, bearing and pull out (T+B+PO). The analysis in terms of strength and ductility shows that T+NSF joints are suitable for seismic design, because the straps yield before the connections fail. T+B+PO joints, on the contrary, are not suited because the connection fails before the straps can yield. The influence of various design parameters (strap thickness, number and diameter of screws, steel grade) in the failure mode is studied, and design criteria to induce a T+NSF response are given.Peer Reviewe

Experimental testing of joints for seismic design of lightweight structures: part 2: bolted joints in straps

An experimental testing campaign on tensile bolted joints between straps is reported. Two dominant failure modes are identified: (1) tilting, bearing and tearing of the sheets (TS) and (2) tilting, bearing and net-section failure (NSF). The analysis in terms of ductility and strength shows that bolted connections are less adequate than screwed connections (reported in Part 1 of this paper) for the seismic design of X-braced shear walls in lightweight structures. NSF joints are more ductile than TS joints in the sense that they undergo larger displacements before failure. However, if washers are not used, both types of connections fail before energy dissipation through yielding of the diagonal straps can occur. Some design recommendations to improve the seismic performance of bolted joints, including the use of washers, are given. The accuracy of Eurocode 3 formulas to predict the ultimate load is also analyzed.Peer Reviewe