Abstract
In the design, fabrication, and erection of grid shells, a major challenge is the nodal connector between members. Designers typically select a structure’s form and then design the nodal connectors to meet geometric and structural demands. However, this can lead to complicated connections that are difficult and expensive to fabricate. Each connector is also often unique. To address these challenges, this paper investigates a new approach in which a novel modular connector is designed for ease of fabrication and erection, and then structural forms are developed that use the connector repeatedly to join wide flange steel members via splice connections in double shear. This approach modularizes the nodal connector, which is a prefabricated, steel connector with starter segments that include webs and flanges. The flanges and webs of the modular connector and the members are joined independently, thereby achieving a moment-resisting connection. This facilitates trusslike, membranelike, or beamlike behavior and allows loads to be redistributed in the case of sudden member loss or replacement, thereby providing enhanced resiliency. Variability in form is achieved by bending the flange splice plates. This paper investigates the modular connector for free-form undulating grid shells and for rational structural forms developed through a proposed form-finding methodology. The proposed methodology relies on thrust network analysis coupled with geometric and structural constraints. The promise of the modular connector and the proposed methodology is demonstrated through finite-element numerical analyses.
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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
This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant CMMI-1351272. Mirela D. Tumbeva is also supported by the O.H. Ammann Research Fellowship. Support from these sources and the program managers is gratefully acknowledged. Contributions from Ted Zoli, the National Bridge Chief Engineer of HNTB Corporation, are also gratefully acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 8 • August 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 10, 2020
Accepted: Mar 2, 2021
Published online: Jun 9, 2021
Published in print: Aug 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Nov 9, 2021
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Connections (structural)
- Design (by type)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Fabrication
- Flanges
- Grid systems
- Highway and road design
- Materials engineering
- Materials processing
- Modular structures
- Shell structures
- Steel structures
- Structural engineering
- Structural members
- Structural systems
- Structures (by type)
- Systems engineering
- Systems management
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