Aluminium Structures; Ivica Boko, Davor Skejić, Neno Torić

The textbook Aluminium Structures is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the Universities of Split and Zagreb. Based on a long-term scientific research on aluminium structures, this textbook is primarily written for civil engineering students but it will also be useful to architecture students. This university textbook is the first comprehensive piece of professional literature written in Croatian that deals with aluminium structures and design harmonized with the European norms, i.e. Eurokod 9. Civil engineers and architects need to be familiar with the possibilities and advantages of aluminium alloys and their application in modern structures. The idea for the book stemmed from the need to fill in the gap in the market concerning professional literature on aluminium structures. Insufficient knowledge coupled with a tendency to rely solely on the classical building materials are the main causes why the aluminium alloys are rarely used for structural systems. The main objective of this textbook, therefore, aims at raising awareness of this light metal and its advantages within the professional circles. It may serve as an appropriate alternative to steel. In some situations it may even prove as the only logical choice

Overview of research on fire effects in RC elements and assessment of RC structures after fire

U radu su predstavljeni postupci procjene oštećenosti i preostale nosivosti AB konstrukcija nakon požara. Prikazana su oštećenja konstrukcijskih AB elemenata stupa, grede, ploče, zida te detalja spajanja. Iako se AB elementi općenito smatraju otpornima na požar, utjecaj temperature bitno utječe na njihove fizikalne i mehaničke karakteristike, a nosivost prije i nakon požara možemo odrediti primjenom više različitih metoda koje su prikazane u radu. Napravljen je osvrt na temu procjene stanja AB konstrukcija nakon požara te daljnja metodologija postupanja.Procedures for estimating damage and remaining bearing capacity of RC structures after fire are presented in the paper. The damage to structural RC elements of a column, beam, slab, wall, and connection details, is presented in the paper. Although RC elements are generally considered to be fire resistant, their physical and mechanical characteristics are greatly influenced by temperature, while the bearing capacity before and after fire can be determined through a number of different methods that are presented in the paper. An overview of condition assessment for RC structures after fire is proposed, and methodology for taking further action is presented

FRP Pedestrian Bridges—Analysis of Different Infill Configurations

The main aim of this study is to analyze fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge decks according to their material, cross-section, and shape geometry. Infill cell configurations of the decks (rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal, and honeycomb) were tested based on the FRP cell units available in the market. A comparison was made for each cell configuration in flat and curved bridge shapes. Another comparison was made between the material properties. Each model was computed for a composite layup material and a quasi-isotropic material. The quasi-isotropic material represents chopped fibers within a matrix. FE (finite element) analysis was performed on a total of 24 models using Abaqus software. The results show that the bridge shape geometry and infill configuration play an important role in increasing the stiffness, more so than improving the material properties. The arch shape of the bridge deck with quasi-isotropic material and chopped fibers was compared to the cross-ply laminate material in a flat bridge deck. The results show that the arch shape of the bridge deck contributed to the overall stiffness by reducing the deformation by an average of 30–40%. The results of this preliminary study will provide a basis for future research into form finding and laboratory testing

Influence of PVB Interlayer Mechanical Properties on Laminated Glass Elements Design in Dependence of Real Time-Temperature Changes

Most used laminated glass is composed of float glass plies bonded together with a viscoelastic Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) interlayer. The shear stiffness of the polymeric interlayer is the key factor in the behavior of laminated glass. Structural engineers in the past were designing laminated glass regardless of the shear coupling of the plies. This approach with a high level of reliability led to expensive laminated glass structures due to insufficient knowledge of foil properties. Most of the current standards suggest methods that consider the shear coupling of the plies. This paper presents the experimental data from a static loading test performed on a laminated glass panel exposed to changing temperatures. The deformations were observed for 48 h. The measured results were compared with the known analytical design approaches and in addition with the finite element modeling (FEM) analysis in the available software for laminated glass design. A simplified design approach that simulates foil behavior in dependence on load duration and temperature change was adopted in this study. Design approaches that use effective thickness calculations are used with the Young and shear relaxation modulus provided by the foil producer. The imprecision of the Eurocode standards for glass design, and the propensity to change the approach to the calculation by introducing more precise parameters were expounded. The results when combining the time-temperature superposition (TTS) and the Wölfel–Bennison approach were found to be in very good agreement with the FEM analysis of 3D solid elements in Abaqus and measured data