Failure assessment of cracked uni-planar square hollow section T-, Y- and K-joints using the new BS 7910:2013+A1:2015

• Main Authors: Kolios, Athanasios, Lie, Seng Tjhen, Sukumara Pillai, Vipin
• Other Authors: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Failure Assessment Diagram; Finite Element Analysis; Engineering::Civil engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/105693; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/49554; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00419-018-1423-5
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper covers the validation of standard safety assessment procedure in the new BS 7910:2013+A1:2015 for cracked uni-planar square hollow section (SHS) T-, Y- and K-joints using the finite element analyses. The procedure is based on the failure assessment diagram (FAD) method. A completely new and robust finite element mesh generator is developed, and it is validated using the full-scale experimental test results. FAD curves are constructed using the elastic J-integral ( Je ), the elastic-plastic J-integral ( Jep ) and the plastic collapse load ( Pc ) values calculated using the 3D cracked models of the joints. The results reveal that the standard Option 1 FAD curve of the new BS code is not always safe in assessing the safety and integrity of cracked uni-planar SHS joints. Therefore, a penalty factor of 1.2 for plastic collapse load is recommended to move all the constructed Option 3 FAD curves above the standard Option 1 curve. The new Option 3 FAD curves are found to generate optimal solutions for cracked uni-planar SHS T-, Y- and K-joints.