STESSA 2012

Objectives

Steel structures designed and constructed according to modern practice can be expected to meet the performance objective of life safety under severe seismic loading. Current research focuses on minimizing earthquake-induced damage to new steel structures to reduce social and economic disruption from future earthquakes. New topics like retrofit of old structures and understanding the collapse behaviour of steel structures under extreme seismic loading are dealt with. At the same time, a new generation of large-scale laboratory facilities for simulating earthquake effects on structures has been commissioned, enabling realistic simulations that were not possible in the past.

To reflect these current trends, the STESSA 2012 conference objectives are to disseminate research in the following general areas: minimizing earthquake-induced structural and non-structural damage to new steel structures; retrofit to improve the seismic performance of existing, critical structures; understanding the collapse behaviour of steel structures under extreme seismic loading; and utilizing advanced laboratory facilities to understand and improve the seismic performance of steel structures.

Scope

The STESSA 2012 Conference will enable researchers and practitioners to present and assess the results from recent research on minimization of the earthquake damage, on seismic retrofit, and on the collapse behaviour of steel structures. In addition, numerous research projects on steel structures using recently-commissioned large-scale earthquake simulation facilities will be ready for dissemination.

Main Topics

- Engineering descriptions of performance levels; conceptual design for multiple performance objectives; reliability-based design procedures; methods for analytical prediction of performance.
- Seismic load; wind load; fire; fire after an earthquake; explosions; impact.
- Material properties; use of special steel grades; strain rate; welded affected zones; fatigue; brittle fracture.
- Rotation capacity; local buckling; overall buckling; classifications of sections; deterioration of strength, stiffness, ductility.
- Cyclic behavior of joints; analytical models; test results; pros and cons of welded and bolted connections; new innovations; data bank; influence of fully and partially restrained connections; seismic demands and capabilities of frames with welded, bolted, or innovative connections.
- Moment resisting frames; braced frames; new and innovative structural systems; collapse mechanisms; redundancy of structures; dynamic influence of P-D effects; modeling of deterioration; evaluation of reduction factors; damageability; large span structures, bridges, and space frames; influence of non-structural elements.
- Dynamic analysis; geometrical nonlinearity and material nonlinearity; optimization; static tests, shaking table tests; online real-time tests; distributed hybrid collaboration tests via the Internet.
- Concrete filled tube (CFT) construction; steel encased in reinforced concrete (SRC) construction; mixed structures with reinforced concrete; mixed structures with timber; steel pile foundation and foundation problems.
- Behavior of isolated structures; bridge bearings; energy dissipation; special devices; control algorithms; smart structures; design models; criteria for detailing.
- Examination of damage; criteria for retrofitting; structural health monitoring; improvement of structural strength and ductility; ordinary buildings; historical buildings; bridges.
- Safety principles; up-dating of national and international codes; calibration activities; AISC, CISC, Eurocode activities.
- National practices case studies; cost-benefit ratio; design aids, fabrication and erection; aesthetics and habitability