Thin-Walled Structures, Ben Schafer, JHU, Cold-Formed Steel, CUFSM, Elastic Buckling, Direct Strength Method

Ying Guan (2008), Mario Fasano (2007), Eric Deuser (2007), Allison Reilly (2005), Liakos Ariston (2004), Sam Phillips (2004), Tim Ruth (2004), Andrew Myer (2004), Brent Bass (2004)

High School RA's alumni:

Kristine Carter (Bal Poly 2008), Dawneshia Sanders (Bal Poly 2007), Alexander Pei (Montgomery-Blair 2006), Michael Manness, Jr. (Bal Poly - 2004).

Bio-corner: Bio and Thin-walled Structures

Thin-walled structures often occur in biological applications, from the meso-scale of bone structure down to the nano-scale of cell cytoskeleton networks. The large range of active research at Johns Hokpins in "nano" and particularly "bio" applications affords a variety of interesting collaborations. See Professor Schafer's publications list for research on the stability of bones and cytoskeleton networks. Learn more about bio related institutes that Professor Schafer is affiliated:

INBT: Institute for Nano Bio Technology

IMMBI: Inst. for Multiscale Modeling in Biological Interactions

For students interested in working in these cross-disciplinary areas Professor Schafer is affiliated with NBMed, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Graduate Training Program at Hopkins. You can learn more about this training program here including funding opportunities for students. Current Hopkins students as well as prospective students may apply. Students should have significant strength and interest in computational modeling.

What are Thin-Walled Structures?

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NEWS

ClarkWestern DSM Workshop

(May 2009)

A new 1 day workshop on the Direct Strength Method was developed for ClarkWestern, the online materials are available here.

FSM for general boundary conditions

(May 2009)

Our research on the finite strip method (FSM) continues, the most recent work provides computationally efficient means to handle general boundary conditions in the finite strip method as discussed in the new web page on research related to extending FSM and developing constrained FSM.

AISI Committee on Framing Standards

(April 2009)

Research from the project on sheathing braced design of wall studs was reported and discussed at the recent AISI Committee on Framing Standards meeting in Madison Wisconsin. Highlights included recent work on fastener stiffness in wall stud systems and single and full wall testing on related systems. (see slides).

the group and friends, SSRC Conf., March 2009

(L to R back row: Ben, Don W, Dinar C, Vahid, Zhanjie, Cris
L to R front row: Mina, Yared, Iraj M., Luiz)

SSRC Conference in Phoenix

(March 2009)

The 2009 Annual Stability Council of the Structural Stability Research Council (SSRC) recently completed. Graduate student Mina Seif presented his recent findings on strength of locally slender structural steel cross-sections and former student. now Asst. Prof., Cris Moen presented on global buckling of members with holes. In addition the annual meeting of the SSRC was organized by Professor Schafer and complete reports have been posted on the SSRC website.

Component performance of stud-sheathing assemblies: new tests and report
(April 2009)

As part of an ongoing project on the behavior of cold-formed steel walls framed with dis-similar sheathing we have recently completed a series of component tests on the lateral stiffness of the fasteners-sheathing system to a stud - different sheathing types, environmental conditions and defect conditions were investigated. Complete results are available here.

Design of locally slender hot-rolled steel

(April 2009)

The third progress report focused on the cross-section stability of structural steel was just released. The report details nonlinear finite element analysis of hot-rolled steel structural shapes with locally slender cross-sections. Go here to see all of the reports. Mina Seif (Graduate Res. Asst.) just presented the latest result at the Annual SSRC stability conference held in conjunction with AISC's NASCC Steel Conference. Go here to see all of the presentations and materials.

AISI-COFS field trip to the lab

(Ocotber 2008)

Nineteen members and guests of the AISI Committee on Framing Standards visited the Thin-walled Structures Lab on 6 October 2008. For more details, go here. This visit was to discuss the AISI project on sheathing braced design of walls, and also included a closer look at the Big Blue Baby, the new multi-axis structural testing rig in our laboratory.

Former student takes position at VA Tech

(August 2008)

Cris Moen, who recently completed his Ph.D. on buckling of perforated cold-formed steel members with applications to the Direct Strength Method has accepted a position at Virginia Tech. Cris can be reached at cmoen@vt.edu.

Three new reports released to AISI

(July 2008)

The draft final report for the Direct Strength Method for Members with Holes, a supplemental report on Analytical Modeling of Rotational Restraint in cold-formed steel framing systems, and a new report on Inelastic Bending of Cold-Formed Steel Members have all been released this month to AISI. These projects will be discussed at the forthcoming AISI-COS meetings in Denver Colorado.

<past news stories>

Other Links of Interest

° American Iron and Steel Institute

° Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute

° Center for Cold-Formed Steel Structures (UMR)

° University of Sydney Research Group

° Cornell University Research Group

° University of Waterloo Research Group

° ABAQUS (nonlinear finite element analysis)

last updated 05/24/09 - Ben Schafer, schafer@jhu.edu

since 19 Oct. 2006