Numerical and Theoretical Studies on Double Steel Plate Composite Walls Under Compression at Low Temperatures

Abstract

Double steel plate composite walls (DSCWs) with several unique types of connectors have been implemented to protect offshore oil exploration platforms from concentric forces caused by ice in the Arctic region. This paper investigates the compressive perfor-mance of DSCWs with interlocked J-hooks and overlapped headed studs at low temperatures ranging from 20 ℃ to -80 ℃ with nonlinear finite element models (FEMs). The intricate geometric size of the concrete, multiple interactions of the concrete with the connectors, and material nonlinearities of the concrete have been thoroughly simulated. The reasonable consistency between the results of the monotonic tests and finite element analysis (FEA) on nine DSCWs with interlocked J-hooks and seven DSCWs with overlapped headed studs indicates that the FEMs can effectively predict the compressive performance of the DSCWs at low temper-atures. On the basis of the validated FEMs, the effects of the horizontal and vertical spacing of the connectors on the compressive performance of the DSCWs are studied. Finally, theoretical models of the load-displacement curves are developed to reveal the compressive response of DSCWs at low temperatures with different types of connectors, taking into account the restraining effect of steel plates on the inner concrete and the local buckling of steel plates. Compared with previous tests and FEA, the developed theoretical models have reasonable consistency for the load-displacement curves of DSCWs at low temperatures.