Sensitivity and Statistical Analysis Within the Elaboration of Steel Plated Girder Resistance

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The objective of the paper is to analyse the influence of initial imperfections on the behaviour of thin-walled girders welded of slender plate elements. The girder was modelled, using the geometrically and materially non-linear variant of the shell finite element method, by the ANSYS program. The ultimate static load-carrying capacity and the state of stress were considered as the output analysed quantities. The influence of the variability of initial imperfections on the variability of ultimate static load-carrying capacity and on the variability of the state of stress studied was calculated by sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis was evaluated on a computer by applying the numerical simulation LHS method and statistical characteristics evaluated, based on the experiments. Real tests of girders with random initial imperfections the occurrence frequency of which is equivalent to experimental results are simulated numerically. In each LHS method run, both load-carrying capacity and state of stress are evaluated on the model based on nonlinear variant of shell finite elements. The stress state was evaluated by bending stresses developing in the crack-prone areas of a web "breathing" under repeated loads, which -as it was demonstrated by the experiments -occurred at the toes of the fillet welds connecting the "breathing" web with the girder flanges and stiffeners.

Stability Problems of Steel‐concrete Members Composed of High‐strength Materials

“…Geometrical imperfections are important in slender members and thin walled steel structures, see e.g. (Kotelko et al 2008;Melcher et al 2009, Ungureanu et al 2010Gocál et al 2010). In the case of massive concrete structures and geotechnical engineering works it is important to properly identify the material characteristics, see e.g.…”

Geometrically Non-Linear Finite Element Reliability Analysis of Steel Plane Frames With Initial Imperfections / Plieninių Rėmų Su Defektais Geometriškai Netiesinė Baigtinių Elementų Patikimumo Analizė

“…Different understanding of sensitivity analysis is used in different modelling communities, see, e.g., Edalat et al (2010), Keitel et al (2011). The imperfection sensitivity in buckling problems has been the subject of numerous investigations (Szymczak 2003;Mang et al 2009;Melcher et al 2009;Kala 2009;Mang et al 2011). The main motivation for these studies is the fact that initial imperfections often bring about a significant reduction of buckling resistance.…”

“…This occurs if the steel bars are composed of thin-walled elements susceptible to local loss of stability. Current research is aimed mainly at FEM simulations (e.g., Kotelko et al 2008Kotelko et al , 2011Loughlan et al 2011;Pasternak, Kubieniec 2010;Pavlovčič et al 2010;Melcher et al 2009). In all cases, the stability failure (in comparison with e.g.…”

Sensitivity analysis of stability problems of steel plane frames

“…The information on problems and applications of the sensitivity analysis of thinwalled members is presented, e.g. in [17][18][19][20][21][22]. The sensitivity analysis contributes to model development, model calibration, model validation, reliability and robustness analysis, decisionmaking under uncertainty, quality-assurance, and model reduction.…”