Advanced Steel Construction

Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 158-172 (2008)


BEHAVIOR AND DESIGN OF ALUMINUM ALLOY STRUCTURAL MEMBERS

 

Ji-Hua Zhu 1 and Ben Young 2,*

1 Shenzhen Key Lab on Durability of Civil Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, ShenZhen University, ShenZhen, PR China. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

2 Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong

*(Corresponding author: E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

DOI: 10.18057/IJASC.2008.4.2.7

 

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ABSTRACT

This paper summarizes recent research on aluminum alloy structural members. The research program formed the basis of the PhD thesis of the first author. The behavior of aluminum alloy structural members was investigated experimentally and numerically. Tests were conducted on aluminum alloy columns, beams and beam-columns of square, rectangular and circular hollow sections. Numerical investigation was performed on fixed-ended aluminum alloy tubular columns with and without transverse welds at the ends of the columns. The effects of transverse welds on aluminum alloy columns were also investigated. The experimental and numerical results were compared with the design strengths calculated using the current American, Australian/New Zealand and European specifications for aluminum structures. In addition, the direct strength method, which was developed for cold-formed carbon steel members, was used in this study for aluminum alloy columns. Furthermore, design rules modified from the direct strength method were proposed. It is shown that the proposed design rules accurately predicted the ultimate strengths of aluminum non-welded and welded columns. The reliability of the current and proposed design rules for aluminum columns was evaluated using reliability analysis.

 

KEYWORDS

Aluminum alloys; beams, beam-columns, buckling; columns; experimental investigation; heat-affected zone; numerical investigation; structural design; transverse welds


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