Finite Element Analysis of Proposed Self-Locking Joint for Modular Steel Structures

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper deals with Finite Element Analysis of Proposed Self-locking Joint for
Modular Steel Structures. 
According to the reviewer, the paper is not worth publishing at Applied Sciences Journal, 
but some corrections are needed and then the paper can be accepted for publication in the journal.
While the authors have made considerable research effort, 
the presentation of the paper and the results must be proved. 
Additionally make the following corrections to the manuscript:

Comment 1
Lines 1 - 3
The authors must insert for all authors their emails.

Comment 2
Line 17
and special moment frame (SMF)
replace (Capital letter)
and Special Moment Frame (SMF)
 
Comment 3
Line 23
Modular steel buildings (MSB) are the type
replace (Capital letter)
Modular Steel Buildings (MSB) are the type

Comment 4
Line 25
by many developed countries[1].
replace (add a space)
by many developed countries [1].

Comment 5
Line 29
Modular steel construction (MSC) has gained
repalce
Modular Steel Construction (MSC) has gained

Comment 6
Line 39
to investigation by many researchers[2] [3–12].
repalce
to investigation by many researchers[2–12].

Comment 7
Line 43
Deng established a bolted
replace
Deng et al. established a bolted

Comment 8
Line 46
welded connection [23][11].
replace
welded connection [11,23].

Comment 9
Line 47
Chen[18] presented
replace
Chen et al. [18] presented

Comment 10
Line 49
plugin connection [18][15].
replace
plugin connection [15,18].

Comment 11
Line 49
Kashan proposed
replace
Kashan et al. proposed

Comment 12
Line 65
using ABAQUS software[25]. Before
replace
using ABAQUS software [25]. Before

Comment 13
Line 67
obtained from Xiao et al. [14].
There is no Xiao at [14].
The authors must check and correct.

Comment 14
Line 74
The authors must explain what IMC means.
Intermediate Moment Frame (IMC)?

Comment 15
Line 110
from Khan et.al. [24]
replace
from Khan et al. [24]

Comment 16
Line 140
provide.   The whole
replace (delete the extra space)
provide. The whole

Comment 17
Line 109
The authors must increase the visibility of the Figure 2 (text in the right Figure).
Lines 129 - 130
The authors must increase the visibility of the Figure 3b.
Line 304
The authors must increase the visibility of the Figure 6a (text) + Figure 6b (stress values did not read at all).

Comment 18
Table 2
The authors must define the Area of interest (15 and 30).

Size of Elements(mm)
replace
Size of Elements (mm)

The authors must explain why the Ultimate Moment is change with different element size.

Comment 19
Line 205
increment.   At each
replace (delete the extra space)
increment. At each

Comment 20
Line 59
(c)Vertical
replace
(c) Vertical

Comment 21
Line 80
in Figure. 3(c).
replace
in Figure 3(c).

Comment 22
Line 171
tie constrain
The authors must check for spelling and typographical errors.

Comment 23
Line 218
In reference study[14], 
replace
In reference study [14], 

Comment 24
The authors must insert a Figure with the whole FEM model and a Figure with the experimental device.

Comment 25
Line 243
experimental observations[14]
replace
experimental observations [14]

For Figure 5a: why did not both the curves (experiment and FE model) begin at the zero point (0,0) of the Coordinate system? 
The authors must give more details for the how the measurements occur (instruments and device).

Comment 26
Line 254
sile load.    A parametric study
replace (delete the extra space) 
sile load. A parametric study

Comment 27
Figure 7e
The authors must give an explanation for deviation.

Comment 28
Line 400  
[31][28]. 
replace
[28,31]. 

Comment 29
Lines 410 - 413
The authors must format the text according to the journal's instructions.

Comment 30
Lines 267, 427 and 428 
The numbering of the equations should be at the end of the line on the right side of the text.

Comment 31
Line 431
6. Conclusions:
replace
6. Conclusions

Comment 32
Increase the number of the reference papers including (primarily) from Applied Sciences.
The authors use 0 paper from Appied Sciences journal / 1 papers from MDPI Journals / 33 papers from journals (References)
Τhe number for papers from MDPI journals
is considered insufficient (in reviewer's opinion).

Τhe references must be corrected according to the Journal's instructions.
1. Author 1, A.B.; Author 2, C.D. Title of the article. Abbreviated Journal Name Year, Volume, page range.

Comment 33
Lines 474 - 475 
Reference 3: something missing

Line 519
Reference 26: something missing

Line 528
Reference 32: something missing

Comment 34
The authors must define in the conclusion the proposed connection.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript presents results of some finite element analyses realized using ABAQUS on connections for modular steel structures.

The manuscript appears more like a technical exercise (i.e., different FE analyses varying some parameters) than an original scientific contribution to a problem of interest to the community. The equations of the model are not reported, making the results obtained by the Authors not reproducible by other researchers with solvers other than ABAQUS.

I think the results are also presented in a rather questionable way. In Figures 5-6-7-8, contour plots appear without legends, with unreadable legends or with approximate descriptions. The authors may not write “tensile stress on long bolt”, “stresses on the wall”, “strain in ceiling beam” without specifying which stress or strain, or how it was calculated and the corresponding unit of measurement. For each contour plot a quantitative color legend should be reported.  

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comment 1
Line 60
Kashan et al. proposed
replace
Khan et al. proposed

Comment 2
Figures 1, 2 and 3 and Table 5 title must be with the figure on the same page.

Comment 3
Line 74
The authors must move the Figure 2 near the Line 74 according to the journal's instructions:
Figures should be placed in the main text near to the first time they are cited. 

Comment 4
First the authors mention Figure 3 in the text and then Figure 2b, 
while the order presented in the paper is first Figure 2b and then Figure 3.
The authors must change the description of the paper or the Figures.

Comment 5
Line 181
The authors must move the Table 2 near the Line 181 according to the journal's instructions:  
Tables should be placed in the main text near to the first time they are cited.

Comment 6
Line 272
Vertical increment
The authors must check the text format.

Line 284
are given in equation (1) and (5) respectively.
The authors must check the text format.

Comment 7
Lines 353 - 354
as illustrated in Figure 8(c).
The authors must change the text format according to the journal's instructions
Figures should be placed in the main text near to the first time they are cited. 

Comment 8
Line 360
Something missing in equation 13.

Comment 9
Figure 7b
The authors must check the text format.

Comment 10
Line 427
The authors must check the text format.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript can be published in the reviewed form.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx