Ultimate response and plastic design of aluminium alloy continuous beams

Over the last twenty years 6,000 series aluminium alloys are gaining increasing attention as a structural material in construction sector, particularly applications where lightness and corrosion resistance crucial for selection. Aiming to sustainable practices, significant savings could be achieved through more economical design solutions such plastic design. Currently, of alloy structures is not permitted most codes, except European provisions which provide recommendations inelastic analysis. Indeed, there clear lack experimental data prove this possibility, relatively new materials industry, 6082-?6 heat-treated alloy. To address knowledge gap, total 15 rectangular hollow sections fabricated from 6082-T6 were tested simply-supported two-span continuous beams. Numerical models developed replicate results considering geometric nonlinearities. A subsequent parametric study was carried out generate numerical indeterminate structures. One normal two high strength well load configurations examined within over wide range cross-sectional aspect ratios slendernesses. The combination with utilised assess accuracy applicability (i) traditional method, (ii) (EC9), (iii) hinge method included Annex H EC9, (iv) Continuous Strength Method (CSM). Relative comparisons demonstrated potential applying Notably, CSM accounts strain hardening at level moment redistribution system found accurate predictions, resulting cross-sections utilising full alloys’ deformability.