Fatigue

Unit 1 focusses on Strength and Durability of Steel and Composite Structures and Joints provides in-depth knowledge on how to design, model, analyse and critically assess results of prediction models of structural members and joints. The principles and theory of using experiments and reliability-based assisted design and verification of Steel and Composite Structures (SCS) and joints are explained and practised for monotonic and cyclic loading.

B4-1:

The content of the units is defined within 3 themes:

Theme 1 (30%): Modelling of Steel and Composite structures and design by experiments – Elastic, plastic and damage material modelling of steel and FRP; Modelling of local and global elastic buckling; Anisotropic and layered modelling; Evaluation of design values for resistance of various failure modes of steel members.

Theme 2 (30%): Design verification of steel connections and joints- Connection component resistance: resistance of bolts, welds, net cross-section in tension and shear; Shear and axially loaded joints Simple connections; Beam to column moment resistant joints; Steel column base joints.

Theme 3 (40%): Fatigue and fracture – Design of steel structures against fatigue failure: Welded details; Bolted details; Detail classes; SN curves; HSS curves; Post-welded treatment for welded joints; Local prediction models (Hot spot stress approach, SCF, effective notch stress) by FE analysis on examples of hollow section joints, OSD. Fracture mechanics - theoretical background; Material properties for fracture mechanics; Crack initiation and propagation by analytical models and FEA