AI738A - DESIGN OF METAL STRUCTURES

The main goal of the course is to provide the theoretical and practical design rules for metal constructions, with particular regard to the calculation of steel structures.
In a first part, an in-depth analysis of the material properties is carried out, with an overview of its chemical composition and mechanical characteristics. Also, an examination of the available industrial products, as well as of the experimental tests that must be carried out for qualifying purpose, is given.
Subsequently, the attention will be focused on the main construction types and analysis methods that it is possible to implement according to to the classification of structural systems.
Therefore, all the checks that need to be conducted for safety assessment purposes, both locally and globally, will be presented, with emphasis on the chance to exploit the ductile resources available for class 1/2 sections.
Stability of sections, members and entire structures under different structural demands, is definitely one of the main themes that will be dealt with, highlighting the importance of imperfections and thus differentiating the case of ideal structures/members (Eulerian instability) from that of real structures/members. Furthermore, the problem of the unstable behavior of thin-walled sections will be threated.
Last - but no less important - theme is the calculation of connections (bolted and welded) and joints: it will be developed by recalling the provisions given by of Eurocode 3 Part 1-8 (component method), as well as by recalling simplified approaches, more widespread in the design italian practice.
A central element of the course will be the development of two projects. The first deals with the case of a wide span spatial reticulated roofing system. The latter, instead, concerns the case of a steel building to be designed in seismic zone according to the current methodological approaches adopted by Eurocode 8 and by the new Italian Code NTC 2018.