Experimental Analysis of Space Trusses Using Spacers of Concrete with Steel Fiber and Sisal Fiber

Welington V Silva; Ramon Silva; Luciano M Bezerra; Cleirton A S Freitas; Jorge Bonilla

doi:10.3390/ma13102305

Experimental Analysis of Space Trusses Using Spacers of Concrete with Steel Fiber and Sisal Fiber

Materials (Basel). 2020 May 16;13(10):2305. doi: 10.3390/ma13102305.

Authors

Welington V Silva¹, Ramon Silva¹, Luciano M Bezerra¹, Cleirton A S Freitas², Jorge Bonilla³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Darcy Ribeiro Campus, University of Brasília, SG12 Building, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil.
² Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Cariri - UFCA, Av. Tenente Raimundo Rocha S/N, Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará 63048-080, Brazil.
³ Group for Numerical Methods in Engineering, University of Ciego de Ávila, Ciego de Ávila 65100, Cuba.

Abstract

Space trusses are structural systems, generally made of tubes, used worldwide because of their advantages in covering long-span roofs. In addition to having a low cost, the truss weight is relatively reduced. The load capacity of these structures depends also on the strength of their node connection. Connections made with the superposition of flattened tube ends trespassed by one bolt are, generally, known as typical nodes. They are inexpensive but present eccentricities that reduce significantly the strength of such space trusses. To increase the truss load capacity, this research presents the results of an experimental program to reduce the eccentricities of the typical nodes. This reduction is done with a new type of spacer made of encapsulated concrete with steel fiber or sisal fiber. The experimental tests showed that the trusses with typical nodes collapsed under reduced load by local failure due to high distortions at the nodes. The trusses with encapsulated concrete spacer showed good results, with an increase in collapse load of 36% and failure by buckling bars.

Keywords: connection eccentricity; experimental test; full-scale space truss; sisal fiber concrete; spacer encapsulated with concrete; steel fiber concrete.