The present issue of the Structures and Buildings includes four technical papers of varying topics. The first paper, by Cao and Bloodworth (2012), presents a series of physical experiments on reinforced concrete four-pile caps under full-width wall loading. The results show that the bending theory-based shear design formulae in both BS8110 and BS5400, and by implication in the Eurocode as well are conservative. It was also suggested that longitudinal reinforcement across 90% of the cap width is considered to participate in the yielding tie of the strut-and-tie model for such pile caps.
In the second paper, four full-scale braced steel frames consisting of link beam, various bracing members and columns were tested under cyclic loading to failure by Maalek et al. (2012). Detailed description of the behaviour of the four frames including the observed modes of failure, particularly owing to premature buckling or fracture of members and connections and their effects on the energy absorption and ductility capacity of the system was presented.
In the third paper, Ahmadi and Amiri (2012) assessed seismic damage of three reinforced concrete frames with shear walls under equivalent static lateral forces in accordance with six patterns of loading distribution. The results concluded that the current seismic design based on strength principles does not produce a uniform distribution of drift, hysteretic energy and structural damage index along the height of the three frames. However, both modified rectangular and the first three mode patterns produce more uniform distribution of damage than others.
The fourth paper, by Apostolopoulos et al. (2012), introduces a finite-element simulation of beam-to-column connections with circle web opening. The model results were found to be in good agreement with these from a physical test of a simple beam to column connection briefly presented in the paper. The parametric study of similar connections using the developed finite element model showed that the basic and most likely failure mode is yielding of the extended end plate near the connecting bolts.
