Current Steel Structures Research No. 20

The strength and behavior of connections under monotonic and cyclic loads are addressed in one of the projects presented in this paper. One of the interesting features of this study is the hybrid nature of the connections, whereby elements of different steel grades are used in the connections, to achieve improved performance as well as economy. Such thinking has also gone into examinations of the behavior of tubular (HSS) members in structures, for which two major projects have recently been initiated in Europe. Structural stability and the assessment of first and second order effects are examined in a project that aims at improving how these parameters are treated, using an energy-based solution. Last, but not least, a major research effort has focused on how to extend service life and performance for a range of different types of welded joints and structures.