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Thin-walled structures
Book reviews
THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES Edited by J. Rhodes and A. C. Walker Granada Publishing Limited, 1980, £20.00 hardback
make. The contents of the individual sessions are briefly as follows: 808
pages,
This book presents the proceedings of an International Conference on Thin-Walled Structures held at the University of Strathclyde in April 1979. The objects of the conference were 'to bring together designers, manufacturers and researchers in the field of thin-walled structures' and 'to seek papers which not only presented the results of the latest research but also discussed the applications of thin-walled structures in engineering'. Forty-eight papers are contained in this book contributed by European, American, Australian and Japanese authors concentrating particularly on trends in the use of thin plate in different structural forms. A glance at the contents shows the diversity of subject matter contained in this volume. Topics range from column behaviour, bridge deck behaviour and the behaviour of offshore structure elements, to roofing and cladding and storage racking. There are also sections on vibration analysis, connection behaviour and the behaviour of cold-formed structures. If there were to be a criticism of the book it might be that the scope of subjects covered is too extensive but it must serve as a useful reference for engineers or researchers working in the above areas. The list of authors is impressive. Notable names such as Professors Massonnet from Liege, Koiter from Delft, Chen from Purdue (USA), Bergfelt from Goteborg and Birkemoe from Toronto are but a few representing the overseas nations. Many well known British researchers contributed papers, Professors Bryan from Salford, Cullimore from Bristol, Rockey from Cardiff and Dowling (the Editor of this Journal) are a sample of these. It is difficult to comment in detail on the contents of a book such as this. Each contribution is an individual piece of research and generalisations are difficult to
Session 1 - Column buckling This session covers the experimental behaviour of box section and lipped channel columns and includes comparison with design and analysis methods. The buckling behaviour of plane channel and l-section columns using theoretical approaches is also examined.
Session 2 - S t i f f e n e d p l a t e s Two of the papers presented in this session use analytical approaches to study the interaction between two failure modes. The first looks at the interaction between local and overall buckling of stiffened panels and the second the interaction between two collapse modes for unstiffened box beam compression flanges. The third presents experimental results for the failure of trough assemblies. Session 3 - Storage racking The four papers in this session present a review of the state of the art concerning rack design. The chairman's comments point out that rack structures are used by people who 'are often not weU informed about the design assumptions'. This probable understatement underlines the importance of research on these structures from a safety view point. Session 4 - Experiments structures
on thin-walled
This session deals with tests on portal frame structures, a storage platform and even the efficacy of fire insulation for cold-formed structural elements. S e s s i o n 5 - L i g h t shell s t r u c t u r e s : c y l i n d e r s The papers presented illustrate examples of research work which is of 'interest to engineers in Britain who are having to deal with the design of off-shore platforms'. The research presented is again a combination of experimental and analytical approaches.
48 Journal of Constructional Steel Research: Vol. 1. No. I: September 1980 Session 6 - C o r r u g a t e d l i g h t s h e l l structures The three papers in this session deal with the behaviour of corrugated metal sheet roofs and silo type structures. Session 7 - Roofing and cladding Consideration is given to the forming of side seams in roof sheeting, the use of high strength steels in cold-formed shapes and the behaviour of structures fabricated from two connected skins of profiled sheet. Session
8 - Elements
under
bending
The papers in this session examine web buckling, flange buckling and purlin bracing. All are concerned with problems encountered in the study of thin-walled beam behaviour. Session
9 - Vibrations
and torsion
behaviour
The first two papers deal with different aspects of dynamic behaviour of thin-walled elements. The remaining papers deal with aspects of restrained warping and the influence of joint details on torsional behaviour. Session 1 0 - M a t e r i a l b e h a v i o u r a n d j o i n t behaviour The first paper looks at the behaviour of thin sheet material in the area of fasteners. The other papers consider variations in residual stresses in cold formed thin steel sections and the fastening of sheeting for walls and roofs. Session 11 - E l e m e n t s under shear The papers presented deal with light gauge steel shear diaphragms, pressed girder webs and perforated shear panels. Session 1 2 - Plate and section buckling behaviour This session comprises four papers concerned with plate and section buckling behaviour. The papers deal with the theory and cover a wide range of topics from plates under in-plane and lateral loading to the collapse of thin-walled columns precipitated by corner buckling. Session 1 3 - B e h a v i o u r of c o l d - f o r m e d structures in this session a range of subjects is considered. The behaviour of lipped channel sections, design criteria for bolted connections, the use of calculators in the design of cold-formed sections and the shear resistance o f framed wall panels are the main topics of the papers. The range of topics discussed prevents any overall conclusions being drawn. It is interesting, however, to dwell on a few quotations from the conference. *The aim of much of our research has altered direction. Ultimate strength, inelastic behaviour, and the word design occur in the titles of papers for almost
every session." 'It is encouraging to see university research workers becoming so interested in experimental and design problems again, after a long flirtation with the sophistication of an analysis." After the explosion of computer technology much effort has been placed in developing sophisticated analytical techniques which have now come to fruition. Emphasis is now being placed in validating these techniques and using them for the production of design data. Another quotation 'of particular importance is the inclusion of factors such as fabrication residual stresses and out-of-roundness imperfections" reflects general trends towards an understanding of the behaviour of real structure~ with all their built-in imperfections by the use of these sophisticated analytical methods. Maybe one paragraph from Session 9 sums up the difficult interaction between designers and research workers which has been so successfully negotiated in these proceedings - 'Normally the subject matter of each of these papers does not attract much interest from practising engineers, presumably due to the complex nature of tile theoretical analysis involved. However to the surprise of many delegates, the working session was very lively and this was possibly due to the fact that the delegates raised well formulated questions and the authors responded with concise replieg." This must be a tribute to all those involved in this conference and should be reflected in tile success of the p r o ceedings. In summary therefore the proceedings of this Conference reflect advances in research on many diverse fronts. These advances are linked together by a common interest in the behaviour of "thin-walled structures'. Dr John E. Harding Imperial College of Science & Technology London
T H I N P L A T E D E S I G N FOR I N - P L A N E LOADING D. G. Williams and B. Aalami Constrado Monographs, Granada Publishing Limited, 1979, 2 I0 pages, £15.00 hardback This monograph on the design of thin plates for in-plane loading follows an earlier volume by the same authors on the design of thin plates for transverse loading. The main body of the present work consists of numerous charts for rectangular plates o f various aspect ratios, different levels of initial .out-of-plane imperfection, and various combinations of edge conditions and edge Ioadings. Most of the graphical data is also given in tabular form which increases the usefulness of the book. There is a helpful chapter on design considerations for thin plates with in-plane loading. Guidance is given on how stiffened plate
THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES Edited by J. Rhodes and A. C. Walker Granada Publishing Limited, 1980, £20.00 hardback
make. The contents of the individual sessions are briefly as follows: 808
pages,
This book presents the proceedings of an International Conference on Thin-Walled Structures held at the University of Strathclyde in April 1979. The objects of the conference were 'to bring together designers, manufacturers and researchers in the field of thin-walled structures' and 'to seek papers which not only presented the results of the latest research but also discussed the applications of thin-walled structures in engineering'. Forty-eight papers are contained in this book contributed by European, American, Australian and Japanese authors concentrating particularly on trends in the use of thin plate in different structural forms. A glance at the contents shows the diversity of subject matter contained in this volume. Topics range from column behaviour, bridge deck behaviour and the behaviour of offshore structure elements, to roofing and cladding and storage racking. There are also sections on vibration analysis, connection behaviour and the behaviour of cold-formed structures. If there were to be a criticism of the book it might be that the scope of subjects covered is too extensive but it must serve as a useful reference for engineers or researchers working in the above areas. The list of authors is impressive. Notable names such as Professors Massonnet from Liege, Koiter from Delft, Chen from Purdue (USA), Bergfelt from Goteborg and Birkemoe from Toronto are but a few representing the overseas nations. Many well known British researchers contributed papers, Professors Bryan from Salford, Cullimore from Bristol, Rockey from Cardiff and Dowling (the Editor of this Journal) are a sample of these. It is difficult to comment in detail on the contents of a book such as this. Each contribution is an individual piece of research and generalisations are difficult to
Session 1 - Column buckling This session covers the experimental behaviour of box section and lipped channel columns and includes comparison with design and analysis methods. The buckling behaviour of plane channel and l-section columns using theoretical approaches is also examined.
Session 2 - S t i f f e n e d p l a t e s Two of the papers presented in this session use analytical approaches to study the interaction between two failure modes. The first looks at the interaction between local and overall buckling of stiffened panels and the second the interaction between two collapse modes for unstiffened box beam compression flanges. The third presents experimental results for the failure of trough assemblies. Session 3 - Storage racking The four papers in this session present a review of the state of the art concerning rack design. The chairman's comments point out that rack structures are used by people who 'are often not weU informed about the design assumptions'. This probable understatement underlines the importance of research on these structures from a safety view point. Session 4 - Experiments structures
on thin-walled
This session deals with tests on portal frame structures, a storage platform and even the efficacy of fire insulation for cold-formed structural elements. S e s s i o n 5 - L i g h t shell s t r u c t u r e s : c y l i n d e r s The papers presented illustrate examples of research work which is of 'interest to engineers in Britain who are having to deal with the design of off-shore platforms'. The research presented is again a combination of experimental and analytical approaches.
48 Journal of Constructional Steel Research: Vol. 1. No. I: September 1980 Session 6 - C o r r u g a t e d l i g h t s h e l l structures The three papers in this session deal with the behaviour of corrugated metal sheet roofs and silo type structures. Session 7 - Roofing and cladding Consideration is given to the forming of side seams in roof sheeting, the use of high strength steels in cold-formed shapes and the behaviour of structures fabricated from two connected skins of profiled sheet. Session
8 - Elements
under
bending
The papers in this session examine web buckling, flange buckling and purlin bracing. All are concerned with problems encountered in the study of thin-walled beam behaviour. Session
9 - Vibrations
and torsion
behaviour
The first two papers deal with different aspects of dynamic behaviour of thin-walled elements. The remaining papers deal with aspects of restrained warping and the influence of joint details on torsional behaviour. Session 1 0 - M a t e r i a l b e h a v i o u r a n d j o i n t behaviour The first paper looks at the behaviour of thin sheet material in the area of fasteners. The other papers consider variations in residual stresses in cold formed thin steel sections and the fastening of sheeting for walls and roofs. Session 11 - E l e m e n t s under shear The papers presented deal with light gauge steel shear diaphragms, pressed girder webs and perforated shear panels. Session 1 2 - Plate and section buckling behaviour This session comprises four papers concerned with plate and section buckling behaviour. The papers deal with the theory and cover a wide range of topics from plates under in-plane and lateral loading to the collapse of thin-walled columns precipitated by corner buckling. Session 1 3 - B e h a v i o u r of c o l d - f o r m e d structures in this session a range of subjects is considered. The behaviour of lipped channel sections, design criteria for bolted connections, the use of calculators in the design of cold-formed sections and the shear resistance o f framed wall panels are the main topics of the papers. The range of topics discussed prevents any overall conclusions being drawn. It is interesting, however, to dwell on a few quotations from the conference. *The aim of much of our research has altered direction. Ultimate strength, inelastic behaviour, and the word design occur in the titles of papers for almost
every session." 'It is encouraging to see university research workers becoming so interested in experimental and design problems again, after a long flirtation with the sophistication of an analysis." After the explosion of computer technology much effort has been placed in developing sophisticated analytical techniques which have now come to fruition. Emphasis is now being placed in validating these techniques and using them for the production of design data. Another quotation 'of particular importance is the inclusion of factors such as fabrication residual stresses and out-of-roundness imperfections" reflects general trends towards an understanding of the behaviour of real structure~ with all their built-in imperfections by the use of these sophisticated analytical methods. Maybe one paragraph from Session 9 sums up the difficult interaction between designers and research workers which has been so successfully negotiated in these proceedings - 'Normally the subject matter of each of these papers does not attract much interest from practising engineers, presumably due to the complex nature of tile theoretical analysis involved. However to the surprise of many delegates, the working session was very lively and this was possibly due to the fact that the delegates raised well formulated questions and the authors responded with concise replieg." This must be a tribute to all those involved in this conference and should be reflected in tile success of the p r o ceedings. In summary therefore the proceedings of this Conference reflect advances in research on many diverse fronts. These advances are linked together by a common interest in the behaviour of "thin-walled structures'. Dr John E. Harding Imperial College of Science & Technology London
T H I N P L A T E D E S I G N FOR I N - P L A N E LOADING D. G. Williams and B. Aalami Constrado Monographs, Granada Publishing Limited, 1979, 2 I0 pages, £15.00 hardback This monograph on the design of thin plates for in-plane loading follows an earlier volume by the same authors on the design of thin plates for transverse loading. The main body of the present work consists of numerous charts for rectangular plates o f various aspect ratios, different levels of initial .out-of-plane imperfection, and various combinations of edge conditions and edge Ioadings. Most of the graphical data is also given in tabular form which increases the usefulness of the book. There is a helpful chapter on design considerations for thin plates with in-plane loading. Guidance is given on how stiffened plate