Frame stability considering member interaction and compatibility of warping deformations

• Author / Creator

  MacPhedran, Ian James

• Steel moment frames are often used in structures to provide lateral strength and stiffness to the structure. These frames are subject to failure modes including buckling in the out of plane direction in a lateral-torsional buckling mode. This failure mode is influenced by interactions of the members through their connections. While the flexural behaviour has been studied in depth and for some time, the effect of torsional warping interaction between members has not been studied extensively. This work presents an analysis of the effect of including the effects of warping interaction or neglecting them, as is done in the current design practice. The issues of inelastic behaviour are considered, as well as the case of torsionally sensitive members. A joint element model is created to treat the warping displacements and their continuity through the joint. The study finds that the current practice of neglecting the warping displacement continuity appears to be a conservative assumption. It is recommended that the present practice of neglecting the effects of warping in analysis of frames continues.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Steel frames
  • Structural stability
  • Torsional warping
  • Steel structures
  • Structural design
  • Structural analysis
  • Beam column

• Graduation date

  Fall 2009

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3XH72

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.