in this paper, the problem of layout optimization for x-bracing of steel frames is studied using the ant system (as). a new design method is employed to share the gravity and the lateral loads between the main frame and the bracings according to the requirements of the ibc2006 code. an algorithm is developed which is called optimum steel designer (osd). an optimization method based on an approx...

We report the synthesis of superhydrophobic coatings for steel using carbon nanotube (CNT)-mesh structures. The CNT coating maintains its structural integrity and superhydrophobicity even after exposure to extreme thermal stresses and has excellent thermal and electrical properties. The coating can also be reinforced by optimally impregnating the CNT-mesh structure with cross-linked polymers wi...

The objective of this paper is to provide a brief overview of damage as observed immediately following the earthquake. Detailed studies of structural seismic performance, conducted in the time elapsed since August 1999, are not the subject of this paper, but rather the object of other papers presented in this Special Issue of the Journal. Damage to reinforced concrete, masonry, and steel struct...

Titanium nitride thin films were grown on 304 stainless steel substrates at various nitrogen/argon flow ratios by ion beam sputtering (IBS) technique. The current research is a follow up study on the influence of gas ratio on structural and corrosion properties in the TiN coated 304 stainless steel. Film structural identification of phases was performed using X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Sca...

Computational cost of metaheuristic based optimum design algorithms grows excessively with structure size. This results in computational inefficiency of modern metaheuristic algorithms in tackling optimum design problems of large scale structural systems. This paper attempts to provide a computationally efficient optimization tool for optimum design of large scale steel frame structures to AISC...

this paper presents the application of three main artificial neural networks (anns) in damage detection of steel bridges. this method has the ability to indicate damage in structural elements due to a localized change of stiffness called damage zone. the changes in structural response is used to identify the states of structural damage. to circumvent the difficulty arising from the non-linear n...

The advancement of transmission electron microscopy has made it possible to analyze the metallographic structure of steel products on a nanoscopic scale, which leads to the detail understanding of microstructures such as fine precipitates and grain boundaries. The application of the characteristic technology to commercial steel products requires consistency in the structural analysis of steel f...

Compared to hot-rolled steel structures, cold-formed steel structures are susceptible to extreme winds because of the light weight of the building and its components. Many modern cold-formed steel structures have sustained significant structural damage ranging from loss of cladding to complete collapse in recent cyclones. This article first provides some real damage cases for light steel struct...

A piece of automation equipment such as a robotic crane for steel erection has no intrinsic knowledge of the process it automates. Thus, geometric and spatial information about a component such as a steel member, and the motion sequences that must be executed to move that component from a staging area to its installed final location must both be programmed into the equipment. In automated steel...

With the occurrence of higher and more frequent axle loads, bridges are more solicited by fatigue loading. Bridge elements like deck slabs are subjected to a high number of stress cycles at relatively small stress magnitudes. The application of Fracture Mechanics as a useful tool for the analysis of fatigue crack growth in steel elements was demonstrated by Paris et al. in the early 1960s. With...