Effect of the Progressive Failure of Shear Connectors on the Behavior of Steel-Reinforced Concrete Composite Girders
, Alaa El-Din El-Sisi 2,3, Mohammed Mutnbak 4, Hani Salim 2 and Ayman El-Zohairy 3,5,*Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This study presents numerical investigations on the effect of the progressive failure of stud shear connectors on the residual static performance and remaining fatigue life of post-tensioned steel-concrete composite beams. The content is suitable to publish on Buildings. The manuscript was well written. The reviewer has some comments as follows:
1) In section 2, the authors must explain in detail for “The developed numerical models adopted both geometric and material nonlinearities”. How to do geometric and material nonlinearities in ANSYS?
2) Why not use the appropriate element type for the post-tensioned tendons instead of using LINK180 and defining the initial-tensioning force as an equivalent drop in temperature?
3) In section 2.3, the authors must clarify the constitutive models of materials, the tensile and compressive stress-strain relationships for all of components (concrete, steel, reinforcement steel, stud, tendon, …) in the FE model. The figures of stress-strain relationships must be added to the manuscript.
4) In Table 2, the horizontal spacing of studs must be added.
5) For Figure 3, the behavior and failure modes corresponding to each working stage of the beams (B1, b2, B3) must be explained and described in detail.
6) For Figure 5, a figure of Step 10 (removal of ten rows) must be added.
7) In section 4, how to remove the stubs in the FE model?
8) In section 5.2, the maximum and minimum shear force must be defined.
9) In Figure 11, the theoretical and FE results are quite different. The authors should comment on this issue. The authors must also clarify the remaining fatigue cycles in Figure 11(b). How to calculate from Equation 3?
10) In this study, only failure of studs was investigated. For an actual structure, multiple failures occur simultaneously when the beam is loaded. Therefore, this study is hypothetical. The authors need to clarify this issue.
Author Response
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Reviewer 2 Report
This paper presents interesting numerical studies of the effect of the progressive failure of stud shear connectors on the residual static performance and the remaining fatigue life of post-tensioned steel-concrete composite beams. Moreover, the FE model has been validated on the basis of the results of the published experimental work.
In the paper, the authors make a contribution in the field of prestressed structures. The results of the analysis are clearly and transparently presented and their interpretation has been conducted properly. In the introduction, the given problem is clearly set out. The figures and the tables complement the analysis adequately and the structure of the paper is clear.
In my opinion, the possibility of increasing the number of References should be considered.
Author Response
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Reviewer 3 Report
Please follow the questions as below:
- Please improve the Abstract. The detail information about experiments can be shortened. Please add sentences to explain the promising application of the study.
- Please check the structure and logic of the Introduction. It usually contains the background, the current progress, the existing problems and the improvement of the research.
- Please highlight the creative work in Introduction. What is the advance of the study?
- Please provide stress pictures of the composite girders directly from ANSYS in Section 3.
- Please cite the following reference to understand the relationship between shear stud, interfacial slip and structural performance of composite girders
“Improved analytical method for interfacial-slip control design of steel-concrete composite structures. Symmetry, 2021, 13(7): 1225-1-20.”
- Please revise the conclusion. Please clearly describe the major results: what has been obtained from the study and the potential use of the study.
- Please polish the English
Author Response
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Reviewer 4 Report
- Please specify the objectives of the paper.
- What is the added value of research?
- What is the novelty of the paper?
- A comparative analysis between the data obtained by you and those reported in the literature is necessary. Insert a scientific discussion, justified by bibliographical references.
- Please insert a figure with “Steel-Reinforced Concrete Composite”.
- Please insert a chapter with the complete characterizations of the “Steel-Reinforced Concrete Composite”.
- Please specify the chemical composition of the steel.
- The authors should refine the abstract and the conclusions.
Author Response
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Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript has been well revised. There are still two comments as follows:
1) The corresponding symbols for stress and strain must be added to Figure 2.
2) In section 5.2, what are the maximum and minimum shear forces? How to determine them in the FE model?
Author Response
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Reviewer 3 Report
The authors have carefully considered the comments and made improvements.
Author Response
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Reviewer 4 Report
The comments were treated superficially or ignored, motivating that they are "outside the scope of this paper".
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Round 3
Reviewer 4 Report
Are Chemical Properties Important?
The major issues of the paper are the novelty and the added value.
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