LOAD-DEFORMATION RELATIONSHIPS FOR SIMPLE STEEL FRAMES WITH UNSTABLE ELEMENTS

Abstract

Procedures have been developed for investigating the plasticity of steel structures that retain the known, traditional steps of investigation but incorporate, instead of the traditional plastic hinge, the model of interactive hinges or interactive zones. In this way the joint consideration of quite different strength and stability phenomena is possible. With the aid of the load-displacement diagram characteristic of the behaviour of steel structures an answer was sought to the question if the displacement capability of the given structure is sufficient and therefore both the "descending" and the "ascending" sections of the load-deformation diagram have been investigated both theoretically and experimentally.