Ultimate behaviour of bolted T<bold>-</bold>stubs under large displacements: A mechanical model: Fid-Bau Portal

Ultimate behaviour of bolted T-stubs under large displacements: A mechanical model

Francavilla, Antonella B. / Latour, Massimo / Rizzano, Gianvittorio

Abstract To provide a tool able to deliver an accurate prediction of the response of bolted T-stubs, a novel mechanical model based on a step-by-step integration algorithm is presented. It explicitly considers some complexities occurring in the large displacement range, with detailed non-linear modelling of the sources of strength and deformability. As shown by the comparison of model and test data, all the complexities considered are necessary to predict T-stubs' resistance and their ultimate displacement capacity accurately. Indeed, the accuracy of the proposed model, both in terms of ultimate displacement (δ v) and maximum strength (F), is evaluated considering a set of recent test data and the predictions of a previous mechanical model, which is based on a first-order approximation of the T-stub response. Concerning the prediction of δ v, the mean value of the ratio δ v, th/δ v, exp is equal to 0.87, with a CoV equal to 0.14. Similarly, the mean value of the ratio F th/F exp is equal to 0.96, with a CoV equal to 0.17.

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Highlights • A mechanical model for predicting the ultimate behaviour of bolted T-stubs in the large displacements range is presented. • The influence of geometrical non-linearities over the T-stub behaviour has been included. • The effect of the shear action arising in the bolts under large displacements is considered with an analytical approach. • The application of the proposed model allows the assessment of the response under large rotations of bolted joints.