Speaker at The Institution of Engineers event

Engineers typically design steel frames with simple connections due to their simplicity in design calculation and the perceived lower construction cost. Rigid connections, on the other hand, are often avoided at all costs due to their complexity in design calculation and their presumed high construction cost. Semi-rigid connections are hardly used, even though engineers understand that structures designed with such connections will be the most cost-effective option. Engineers do not design steel framing with semi-rigid connections due to the complexity of determining the joint stiffness for global FEM analysis and the detailed design for such connections.

This seminar will overview Steel frame design with advanced numerical software. We will compare the effects of different connection types, namely: Simple, Rigid and Semi-rigid. We will also discuss how engineers can validate the correctness of their assumed connection models based on their connection configuration. Finally, we will have a thorough overview of the process of modelling and design with Semi-rigid connections using the (2) State-of-The-Art software: IDEA StatiCa and CSi SAP2000.