Recorded at the Young Researchers Conference 2020.
In parallel with developments in computational tools available to structural engineers, advanced analysis is increasingly being employed in the design of steel structures. This typically uses beam finite elements.
Although highly computationally efficient, beam finite elements are not able to explicitly capture cross-section failure. Limitations on cross-section resistance and rotation capacity have to be separately defined. This is typically done through the concept of cross-section classification.
However, this approach is not only overly-simplistic but also generates artificial steps in the determination of the ultimate capacity of steel members and systems. With the aim of avoiding these drawbacks, an alternative design approach by advanced inelastic analysis with strain limits has been proposed recently (Fieber et al., 2019). This approach has been developed and verified on a series of uniform steel members, but has not been applied to tapered members.
In this study, the proposed design approach has been extended to cover tapered and haunched members, with the latter development enabling application of the method to portal frames.
Design of tapered steel I-section members