Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Steel members with I cross-sections are commonly used in Canadian infrastructure. Owing to their advantages related to high strength-to-weight ratio, connection simplicity, amenability to structural modifications, and ability to bridge relatively long spans, they are widely used in industrial & commercial structures, oil refineries, power & petrochemical plants, pipe racks, high rise buildings, stadiums, arenas, and bridges. When laterally unsupported members undergo bending under loads, they tend to lose their stability and eventually become prone to lateral torsional buckling. Current Canadian design standards recognize lateral torsional buckling as a failure mode governing the capacity of long- and medium-span members. Design procedures provided in standards have limitations that either (a) lead to inaccurate estimates of the member strength, or (b) make them inapplicable in some practical design situations. The long-term goal of the research program is (1) improve present design rules in Canadian Standards for elastic/inelastic lateral torsional buckling for steel beams and (2) develop novel design solutions for the elastic/inelastic lateral torsional buckling for strengthened beams. The short-term objectives  (1) quantify the the effects of initial-out-straightness and residual stresses on the elastic/inelastic lateral torsional buckling resistance of steel beams and (2) determine the elastic/inelastic lateral torsional buckling strength of steel beams strengthened with cover plates, or with warping stiffeners. HQP Training: The research program will lead to the training of 9 HQP (3PhD, 3MSc & 3BSc) in the analysis/design of steel structures, equip them with a strong foundation in mechanics/FEA, sharpen their communication skills, and enable them to transfer their knowledge to structural consulting firms and research institutes. Expected Impact: (1) The analysis/design methods developed will enable Canadian engineers to access cost effective and accurate methodologies to design/rehabilitate structures while achieving the expected safety level. (2) The development of design recommendations for strengthening members will enable designers to avoid premature demolishing/reconstructing of existing structures and thus prolong their expected lifespan at a fraction of the reconstruction cost. (3) Computer implementations resulting from the research will be made freely available. Efforts will be made to transfer/modify/advance the numerical solutions developed to Canadian structural analysis software firms to implement them commercially. (4) The expertise gained, and knowledge acquired from the research program is applicable/modifiable to beams of other construction materials (e.g., Glulam beams, Wood I joist, pultruded FRP beams, and composite beams).