0000000000235692

AUTHOR

Monaco A.

Innovative connections for steel-concrete-trussed beams: a patented solution

The most recent design strategies welcome the adoption of innovative techniques for seismic energy input mitigation, aiming to achieve high dissipation capacity, prevent the structure from collapse and ensure the serviceability of the construction. Friction damper devices have been widely adopted in framed steel structures for decades, while their introduction in different structural types is still under investigation. This paper presents the outcomes of innovative research supported by the industry and conducted on beam-to-column connections of RC structures in which the beams are Hybrid Steel-Trussed Concrete Beams (HSTCBs) and the columns are classical RC pillars. An innovative solution,…

research product

Experimental characterization of friction properties of materials for innovative beam-to-column dissipative connection for low-damage RC structures

Low-damage design of structures in seismic-prone areas is becoming an efficient strategy to obtain "earthquake-proof" buildings, i.e. buildings that, even in the case of severe seismic actions, experience a low or negligible amount of damage. Besides the safeguard of human lives, this design strategy aims also to limit the downtime of buildings, which represents a significant source of economic loss, and to ensure an immediate occupancy in the aftermath of an earthquake. In this context, focusing on moment-resisting frames (MRFs), several solutions have been developed for the beam-to-column connections (BCCs) of steel and precast/prestressed concrete structures, but very few for cast-in-sit…

research product

Finite element modeling of the shear behavior of hybrid steel trussed concrete beams

The development and calibration of a three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear Finite Element (FE) model is presented with the aim of investigating the shear behavior of steel-concrete composite beams realized with a steel truss embedded into a concrete core and named Hybrid Steel Trussed-Concrete Beams (HSTCBs). The model is calibrated on the results of a reference experimental campaign of three-point bending tests on HSTCBs realized at the Laboratory of Structures of the University of Palermo. The actual behavior at the steel-concrete interface has been introduced in the model through the implementa-tion of a cohesive constitutive relationship. Furthermore, the damaged plasticity of concrete has b…

research product

Comparative analysis of shear resisting models for hybrid steel trussed concrete beams

The hybrid steel trussed concrete beams represent a structural solution widely adopted in the industrial constructions thanks to the numerous advantages due to their use, such as economic convenience, high performances and constructional speed de-riving from the partial prefabrication process and from the self load-carrying capacity of the beam in the first operative phase, prior to the in-site casting of concrete. The hybrid steel trussed concrete beams examined in the present study are constituted by two prin-cipal components, i.e. a steel joist with inclined rebars, realized in industry, which is welded to a smooth steel plate and then embed-ded within the concrete material cast in situ.…

research product

Is diet partly responsible for differences in COVID-19 death rates between and within countries?

Abstract Reported COVID-19 deaths in Germany are relatively low as compared to many European countries. Among the several explanations proposed, an early and large testing of the population was put forward. Most current debates on COVID-19 focus on the differences among countries, but little attention has been given to regional differences and diet. The low-death rate European countries (e.g. Austria, Baltic States, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia) have used different quarantine and/or confinement times and methods and none have performed as many early tests as Germany. Among other factors that may be significant are the dietary habits. It seems that some foods largely use…

research product

Modelling of FRP and FRCM-Confined Masonry Columns: Critical Review for Design and Intervention Strategies

This paper presents a critical review of the most established analytical models for the prediction of the compressive strength of FRP and FRCM-confined masonry columns. In particular, two types of fibres are analysed, i.e. glass and basalt. A wide dataset available in the literature is used for the application of the analytical models and for the development of parametric analyses useful for the critical comparison of FRP vs. FRCM confinement technique and glass vs. basalt fibres to be adopted as reinforcement of masonry substrate. The effects of stiffness and strength of the reinforcement, the number of reinforcing layers, the compressive strength of masonry and the cross-section shape are…

research product

R.C. columns strengthened by PBO-FRCM under axial force and bending moment

Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) systems, also known as Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) are nowadays widely used as confining material to enhance both strength and deformation capacity of columns of seismic resistant r.c. frames. In the past, when carbon fiber was used in the textile, experimental results showed that the efficiency of the wrapping is limited by the connection between substrate and fiber, which is not as effective as when epoxy resins are used. To improve the strength of the connection between fibres and mortar binder in FRCM system, the use of p-Phenylene BenzobisOxazole (PBO), having a molecular structure capable of establishing chemical bonds with hydrated c…

research product

Evaluation of the shear connection strength of precast hybrid steel-trussed-concrete composite beams

In last decades, significant efforts have been carried out by the scientific community to evaluate the main technical issues of Hybrid Steel-Trussed-Concrete beams, investigating both the first opera-tive phase, i.e. before the concrete casting, when only the bare truss works, and, the second phase, i.e. after the concrete curing, when the beam works as a composite element. In the present study, the attention is focused on the evaluation of the shear strength of the connection between the bottom plate of the steel truss and the concrete core proposing a mechanical model able to predict its ulti-mate resistance. The proposed mechanical formulation is mainly based on the extension of existing…

research product