Effect of Joint Stiffness on Flexural Performance of a Hybrid FRP-Aluminum Space Truss Structure
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 12
Abstract
A novel hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-aluminum space truss structure with pretightened teeth connections (PTTCs) and aluminum-bolt-ball connecting system (ABCS) that can be used as part of pedestrian bridges, platforms in marine areas, or roof structures is proposed. To understand the failure modes, bearing mechanism, and flexural behavior of the structure, three-point bending tests were conducted. Three loading scenarios were designed to investigate the impacts of different joint conditions. Each scenario presented different structural loading responses. Promoting the bolt stiffness and strength of ABCS improved the structural stiffness and ultimate load. The structural ductility was greatly increased by introducing joint ductility. A solid-element model of the ABCS simulated the joint loading behavior. The fine-line element structural model was established considering the joint stiffness extracted from the finite-element (FE) analysis of the ABCS model. Both models were validated by experiments.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
Supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51778620), National Key Research and Development Program of China (Award No. 2017YFC0703008), and Foundation & Frontier Technology Innovation Projects (2019-33) are gratefully acknowledged.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 12 • December 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 26, 2021
Accepted: Jul 30, 2021
Published online: Sep 28, 2021
Published in print: Dec 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 28, 2022
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