Advancing Tubular Structures

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Tubular structures represent one of the "growth areas" for steel construction, for both economic and aesthetic reasons, and Canada already has renown for its expertise in this area. Canada is in the enviable position of being a prominent exporter of both design technology for structural tubing (or "know-how") and the manufactured product itself. Over half of all North American on-shore structural tubing - or hollow structural sections (HSS) - is produced by companies of Canadian origin. All together, the research herein will resolve some contemporary issues pertaining to cold-formed HSS that currently hinder the widespread application of the product in practice.***    In the short-term, two thrusts to the investigation will concentrate on: (a) the dynamic performance of HSS, and (b) several known problems related to HSS welded connections. Six specific *projects* address: (i) blast and impact resistance of concrete-filled double-skin HSS members; (ii) blast and impact resistance of cast steel connectors welded to HSS; (iii) application and improvement of ASTM A1085 HSS (a recent new material); (iv) HSS-to-HSS welded connections with branches in irregular locations; (v) "hidden welds" in HSS-to-HSS overlapped K-connections; and (vi) effective lengths of welds in circular HSS-to-HSS connections. The research approaches to these projects employ small-scale material tests, medium-scale member and component testing in the university laboratories, large-scale testing of structures in the field, numerical finite element analyses (both implicit and explicit), and closed-form analytical solutions. Projects (i) and (ii) entail verification by field blast testing, which is possible through the university's "Centre for Resilience of Critical Infrastructure" (CRCI), directed by the Applicant, and its unique sponsorship.***    In the long-term this research *program*, at the forefront of knowledge on tubular structures, will propel Canada into a leading position internationally for structural tubing technology and application. The research program further extends and explores the roles for steel castings in the construction industry, building on the innovative introduction and development of this concept in North America by the Applicant between 2004 and 2014. This transfer of foundry technology to the building sector has already involved successful product commercialization by the Applicant and heralds even further advances for both industries.***    A stimulating environment for research training is ensured for students, ranging from undergraduates to post-doctoral fellows, involving highly advanced laboratory and field testing methods, use of state-of-the-art analytical and computational tools, international exposure to leaders in their field of specialization, internship placements in industry (both in Canada and abroad) and active participation in technology transfer activities.