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University of Montenegro , Podgorica , Montenegro
Studying of "patch loading" was initiated at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Montenegro (FCE UoM) in the early 1990s. The series of studies, still continuing, encompassing experimental, theoretical and numerical investigations, including AI application, was a logical follow-up of the projects that previously had been conducted over a period of more than thirty years at other universities and research centres around the world. The term "patch loading" refers to both – specific load type assuming concentrated or locally distributed load, as well as behaviour of thin-walled girders resulting from this type of loading. The most common case is steel I-girder, loaded over flange, in or parallel to the web plane. Hence, two specific load cases are analysed – centric and eccentric patch loading, regarding the web plate. In both cases localised problem, i.e. local yielding in the web and/or flange, in the vicinity of load, may result in the failure of structural element, while analysis of global stresses does not imply that. For the case of centric patch load, characterised by web buckling leading to local stability loss of I-girder, research team of the FCE UoM proposed several new collapse mechanisms and mathematical models for collapse load. Influence of web stiffening, initial imperfections and load length was analysed. Collapse mode of eccentrically patch loaded I-girders varies from the same one as in case of centric load to the completely different one, characterised by web bending and flange warping, depending on numerous parameters. Consequently, determination of ultimate load is much more complicated than in case of centric patch load. FCE UoM research revealed certain dependences among influential parameters, providing differentiation of collapse modes. In collaboration with the researchers from the University of Granada, proposals for collapse load determination were formulated and influence of certain parameters, such as load length, were analysed in detail. Artificial neural networks were employed as a suitable tool in the analysis of eccentric patch loading issues.
patch loading, load eccentricity, collapse mode, ultimate load, artificial neural networks
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