Charles-Darwin Annan

• Ph.D. P.Eng.
• Professor at Université Laval

Several studies have shown that the lateral response of concentrically-braced frames is dominated by the inelastic behavior of the bracing members. However, the overall performance of the entire frame depends on the frame configuration including its connections. In this study, the hysteretic characteristics of modular steel-braced frames under reve...

Contemporary seismic design is based on dissipating earthquake energy through significant inelastic deformations. This study aims at developing an understanding of the inelastic behavior of braced frames of modular steel buildings (MSBs) and assessing their seismic demands and capacities. Incremental dynamic analysis is performed on typical MSB fra...

The seismic behavior factor, R, is a critical parameter in contemporary seismic design. In the 2005 edition of the National Building Code of Canada, the R factor consists of ductility related force modification factor, Rd, and overstrength-related force modification factor, Ro. The choice of these factors for design depends on the structural system...

The mechanical behavior of the interface between gravelly soils and structures may play a significant role on the response of many soil-structure systems to loading. Under cyclic excursion of shear stress, the gravelly soil in contact with the structural material may undergo particle breakage which could lead to significant volumetric deformation o...

This paper presents the results of experimental tests and proposes a numerical framework for the prediction of the fatigue behaviour of friction stir welded (FSW) butt-lap joints of aluminium bridge deck extrusions. Fatigue test specimens made of welded real roadway bridge deck extrusions were subjected to cyclic bending under different loading con...

Friction stir welding (FSW) has shown considerable promise for highway aluminum bridge deck fabrication but lacks specific quality control guidelines for fit-up defects. This study conducts a performance-based (PB) quality control assessment of butt-lap FSW joints for highway bridge decks. Five FSW conditions were simulated, including a standard co...

Lattice domes are used in the construction of stadiums and airports to accommodate many people. These structures fit into the high seismic importance category because they serve as shelters in case of seismic events. Information based on research regarding the seismic design of domes exists; however, the practical application of this information by...

The low-cycle fatigue resistance of a material can influence the seismic vulnerability of a structure. Aluminium alloys are generally more susceptible to failure under low-cycle fatigue compared to steel. However, aluminium is an effective solution for domes exposed to aggressive environments such as chemical storage facilities, domes covering larg...

The use of aluminium alloys for bridge decks has gained significant interest in recent years due to the material’s high strength-to-weight ratio, durability (i.e. high resistance to atmospheric corrosion) and low maintenance requirements compared to the traditional deck material such as reinforced concrete. Moreover, the material’s extrudability pr...

This paper presents the results of experimental tests and a numerical investigation of the fatigue behavior of butt-lap friction stir welded (FSW) joints used in highway bridge decks made from aluminum extrusions. A large-scale fatigue experiment was designed to initiate fatigue failure in the butt-lap FS welds joining two full-scale aluminum extru...

Aluminum vehicular bridge decks figuhave been increasingly used for the replacement of deficient bridge slabs made from reinforced concrete or steel. The design of these decks has been under increasing development since the late 90s and different types of vehicular bridge deck profiles have been industrialized. Aluminum vehicular bridge decks are m...

The configuration of ductile steel elements in a steel frame is fundamental to the structure’s performance under seismic ground motion. Hybrid solutions are being explored as an alternative to traditional structural systems to improve on their limitations. The hybrid concept is hinged on harnessing benefits from the varying characteristics of diffe...

Reinforced concrete and steel are the most commonly used materials in bridge applications in Quebec (Canada). The production of these materials has a significant environmental impact and contributes to the scarcity of non-renewable resources due to the numerous maintenance requirements during the life of the structure. Consequently, there are gover...

Aluminum has been used increasingly in infrastructure projects, especially in the fabrication of aluminum bridge decks to replace and rehabilitate deficient traditional bridge decks made from concrete and steel. Bridge decks made from aluminum are fabricated through the welding of several extruded profiles together resulting in the presence of weld...

Understanding soil-pipe interaction during cyclic axial displacement is essential for the design and evaluation of buried pipeline systems. This study introduces an efficient and practical numerical approach using beam-spring-interface elements to simulate soil-pipe interaction behaviour. Numerical predictions of the evolution of shear and normal s...

Vehicle-bridge interaction is a critical subject in the understanding of the dynamic behaviour of highway bridges under vehicular traffic. Numerical methods often used to evaluate this interaction requires a reliable and efficient numerical model of the specified design truck. Some simplified truck numerical models have been proposed in the literat...

The low-cycle fatigue resistance of a material can influence the seismic vulnerability of a structure. Aluminium alloys are generally more susceptible to failure under low-cycle fatigue compared to steel. However, aluminium is an effective solution for domes exposed to aggressive environments such as chemical storage facilities, domes covering larg...

Lattice domes are used in the construction of stadiums and airports to accommodate many people. These structures fit into the high seismic importance category because they serve as shelters in case of seismic events. Information based on research regarding the seismic design of domes exist; however, the practical application of this information by...

Aluminum alloys provide several advantages that could be exploited in the bridge construction industry. Since the late 90s, structural aluminum alloys have been used to manufacture a number of aluminum vehicular bridge decks made of extrusions joined by means of welding. Initially, the traditional fusion welding techniques such as Gas metal arc wel...

This article concerns the behaviour of two blind bolt types, Ajax One side and Blind Oversize Mechanically (BOM), used to connect a multi-void aluminum bridge deck on its supporting steel girders. An extensive numerical simulation by FEM was performed to evaluate the connection behaviour against the Canadian Highway Bridge Design standard CSA S6-19...

Contemporary seismic-resistant design of steel braced frames is based on dissipating seismic energy through significant inelastic axial deformation in brace components. Buckling-restrained braced (BRB) frames are a type of concentrically braced frame (CBF) characterised by braces that yield both in tension and in compression. These braces therefore...

Friction stir welding (FSW), a relatively new welding technique, has been widely used in the aero- space and manufacturing industries, showing superior mechanical and durability properties. How- ever, its application in civil engineering is very limited due to the absence of appropriate standards and quality control guidelines. FSW appears to be a...

p>Aluminium as a structural material is known for its lightweight, which facilitates easy transportation and installation, and reduces foundation requirements. However, this lightweight characteristic makes it sensitive to excitations from vehicular traffic leading to dominating dynamic design over the static one. The dynamic design of highway brid...

The configuration of ductile steel elements in a steel frame is fundamental to the structure's performance under seismic ground motion. Hybrid solutions are being explored as an alternative to traditional structural systems to improve on their limitations. The hybrid concept is hinged on harnessing benefits from the varying characteristics of diffe...

Aluminum vehicular bridge decks have been increasingly used for the replacement of deficient bridge slabs made from reinforced concrete or steel. The design of these decks has been under increasing development since the late 90s and different types of vehicular bridge deck profiles have been industrialized. Aluminum vehicular bridge decks are mainl...

Vehicle-bridge interaction is a critical subject in the understanding of the dynamic behaviour of highway bridges under vehicular traffic. Numerical methods often used to evaluate this interaction requires a reliable and efficient numerical model of the specified design truck. Some simplified truck numerical models have been proposed in the literat...

Bridge decks are the most stressed elements in a highway bridge due to direct loading from vehicular traffic and occasional overloading, combined with stresses induced by environmental effects and the use of deicing salts in cold wintery conditions. The use of structural aluminum alloys offers considerable promise for building modern bridges and fo...

p>Traffic barriers are mounted on bridges to provide a physical impassable limit to redirect errant vehicles safely into the roadway. The desired level of performance is determined by the bridge usage and the roadway configuration; higher performance levels are associated with higher risk level for impact and severity of impact. Current design stan...

Many soil-structure interaction systems experience a three-dimensional loading condition (i.e. shear coupling) at their interfaces. In this study, an elasto-plastic constitutive formulation for interfaces in soil-structure interaction problems is proposed considering the effects of 3D shear coupling loading conditions. The proposed model is capable...

The accurate prediction of the behaviour of soil-structure interfaces that accounts for shear coupling is of concern in the design and analysis of soil-structure interaction (SSI) problems. In this study, an interface constitutive model capable of simulating the nonlinear behaviour of granular soil-structure interface systems under three-dimensiona...

Aluminium is increasingly used to replace aging concrete, steel or wood bridge decks. Typically, aluminium decks are made from extrusions welded together using gas metal arc welding (GMAW) or friction-stir welding (FSW) techniques. This paper describes firstly the steps followed in the design of an extruded aluminium bridge deck to be supported on...

The low-cycle characteristics of structural subassemblies under large cyclic strains play an important role in contemporary seismic design. Obtaining these characteristics can lead to an understanding of a structure's degradation and nonlinear response behaviour, and can serve as a basis for developing efficient numerical models to predict seismic...

This final report on the research project R779.1 on shear connectors used in the design of bolted slip-critical connections in bridges composed of aluminum decking supported on steel girders. The test program for the 6005A-T61 aluminum alloy is presented in this final report. The tests carried out with this alloy are as follows: short-term slip tes...

The use of aluminium in highway bridges has gained significant traction in recent years due to a number of desirable characteristics of the metal, such as its extrudability, high strength-to-weight ratio and high corrosion resistance. One of the most practical solutions using aluminium in bridges consists of aluminium deck panels made from welded e...

Traffic barriers are used in bridge construction to withstand vehicular impact and protect the lives of occupants and other road users by safely redirecting the vehicles onto the roadway. Current design standards require that the traffic barrier system be crash-tested under full-scale real-life conditions to assure satisfactory interaction with veh...

The lightness, durability, extrudability and corrosion resistance of aluminium make it a suitable material for the development of durable decking for bridges, as an effective alternative to concrete or wood decking. This article presents the design of an efficient modular aluminium deck for short span highway bridges supported on steel girders. Thi...

The seismic behavior of the concrete slab in concrete-faced rockfill dams (CFRD) is investigated, considering concrete slab-cushion layer interface effect. The interface is simulated by an advanced constitutive model capable of simulating the complex behavior of soil–structure interfaces such as particle breakage, stress-dilatancy, stress-hardening...

This research is on characterizing the slip resistance of high strength bolted connections used with metallized faying surfaces and metallized-galvanized faying surfaces. Based on this research, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has included a new slip class D for metallized-galvanized connection surfaces in the 2019 edition of the steel des...

Over the past few decades, many Concrete-Faced Rockfill Dams (CFRD) have been constructed around the world. The structural complexity of this dam type and the high social, environmental and economic costs associated with failure require reliable analysis techniques to understand its behaviour and performance. Current design practices are largely em...

This document presents the Stage 2 report on the research project R779.1 relating to shear connectors used in the design of bolted anti-slip assembly in bridge composed of aluminum decking supported on steel girders. The results obtained with the aluminum alloy 6063-T6 are presented in this report. The tests carried out with this alloy are as follo...

In this paper, an implementation of an advanced two-surface plasticity interface constitutive model in a general-purpose finite element code ABAQUS for application in soil-structure interaction problems under static and dynamic loading conditions is presented. A recently developed constitutive model by the authors for gravelly soil-structure interf...

This project proposes to connect extruded aluminium bridge decks to steel girders using galvanized ASTM F3125/F3125M-15a grade A325 bolts of diameter M20 in a slip-critical connection. Full composite action between the deck and the girders is required to develop the full flexural capacity of the composite section. However, because the coefficient o...

The behavior of interfaces between granular soils and structural construction materials has an important impact on the monotonic and cyclic response of many soil–structure interaction (SSI) systems. Understanding the mechanics and modeling of these interfaces is an important step towards a safe and effective design and analysis of SSI problems. An...

Bridge designers seek to provide highway bridges with adequate strength, rigidity and durability over the service life of the structure. The use of aluminium for bridge decks offers an enormous potential for rapid construction of modern highway bridges with an increased traffic load capacity and an extended service life. Despite the recent introduc...

Aging bridge infrastructure under severe environmental conditions indicates that there is a need for an appropriate solution for new bridge construction as well as for rehabilitating existing deficient bridges. The use of aluminium decking offers great potential for rapid construction of modern highway bridges and for re-decking of aging concrete d...

This document presents the Stage 1 report of the research project R779.1 on shear connectors used to develop composite action in bridges composed of aluminum decking supported on steel girders. This report presents the experimental plan which will make it possible to achieve the objectives of the project. The results would ultimately allow for the...

This article discusses the use of an extruded aluminium section as an alternative decking solution to the traditional concrete slab-on-steel girder bridges in highway application. It is proposed to connect the aluminium deck panel to steel girders using ASTM F3125 / F3125M-15A galvanized steel bolts grade A325 and M20 diameter in a slip-critical co...

In this paper, a new bridge concept made of an aluminium deck supported on aluminium girders is developed to serve as an effective alternative to the traditional highway bridge solutions, namely the slab-on-girders and wood-deck-on-girders solutions. The all-aluminium bridge system is conceived as a modular solution, to be fabricated under controll...

A plasticity constitutive model is proposed to simulate the monotonic and cyclic behavior of granular soil–structure interfaces. The model is built on two-surface plasticity models previously developed for interfaces between gravelly soils and structural materials (Saberi et al., 2016, 2017), which simulate strain hardening, stress degradation and...

In this study, the effect of concrete face slab – cushion layer interface behavior on the performance of face slabs in concrete-faced rockfill dams (CFRDs) is investigated using the finite element method. The body of the CFRD is simulated by the cap elastoplasticity model while the interface zone between the concrete face slab and the gravelly cush...

This was a collaborative research with industry to characterize the slip resistance of unsealed thermal sprayed metallized surfaces, and subsequently incorporate a slip coefficient for this faying surface type in bridge design standards. Ahe American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Bridge Committee has included th...

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Steel bridge elements may be exposed to aggressive conditions from ambient environment and human activities such as the spread of de-icing salt on roadways. In order to increase the service life of these members and reduce maintenance costs, two coating solutions - metallizing and galvanizing – have evolved as effective and widely used in providing...

Contemporary seismic design of steel braced systems is based on dissipating earthquake energy through significant inelastic deformation in the bracing members under cyclic excursions. The structure is designed such that the first significant yield occurs at ground intensity levels that are at or above the design earthquake forces. This design philo...

Metallizing has emerged as an effective protective coating for steel bridge members, providing a physical barrier and a galvanic protection. Recent research has shown that metallized faying surfaces used in high strength bolted connections provide higher slip resistance than specified values for uncoated blast-cleaned faying surfaces in North Ameri...

Metallizing is evolving as a versatile coating solution for steel bridge elements and has seen increased recognition by multiple transportation agencies, including the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Canadian ministère des Transports du Québec. Metalizing is a term commonly used to describe the practice of thermally spraying molt...

An emerging coating option for bridge components—metallizing—shows promise thanks to slip-resistance testing based on parameters set in U.S. and Canadian steel standards.

Steel bridge surfaces exposed to aggressive environment must be protected to preserve struc-tural integrity and provide longevity. Metallization is a versatile thermal spray solution com-monly used in steel bridge fabrication due to its long-term protection. Highway bridge design standards in North America specify values for slip coefficients to be...

Article voted the best overall student paper at the 4th International Engineering Mechanics and Materials Specialty Conference

Metallizing is becoming a commonly used corrosion protection solution for steel bridge members. Bridge designers need to know the slip resistance of metallized faying surfaces in order to eliminate the currently costly and time-consuming practice of masking off connection faying surfaces before metallizing. The slip resistance evaluation involves e...

Traffic barriers in bridge construction are specially designed devices that are carefully selected and connected to the bridge deck to redirect errant vehicles safely into the flow of traffic and prevent them from proceeding down a non-driveable batter. The risk and consequence of impact, in general, determines the level of barrier protection. The...

Multi-storey buildings with asymmetric setbacks possess both vertical and in-plan irregularities. The former is due to the abrupt changes in the plan dimension at the level of the setback while the latter results from the asymmetry between the upper tower portion and the lower base portion. These irregularities introduce mass, stiffness and resista...

The slip resistance of high strength bolted connections depends on the surface condition of the connected parts, also known as the faying surfaces. Metalizing and galvanizing are two commonly used corrosion protection solutions in steel bridge construction, providing physical barrier as well as sacrificial protection. Practical situations exist whe...

Structural steel elements, particularly in steel bridge construction, that are exposed to severe environmental conditions require surface protection coating to preserve structural integrity and provide longevity. Metalizing is becoming a commonly used corrosion protection solution, providing physical barrier as well as sacrificial protection. Bridg...

Bolted connections are designed as slip-critical if they would be subjected to fatigue or significant load reversal, typical in steel girder bridges. In this type of connection, slip of any magnitude must be prevented to eliminate intolerable geometric changes and consequent stability problems. The surface condition of the connected steel component...

As part of a research and development project in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation, Quebec, Structal-Bridges is undertaking the rehabilitation of the Shenley bridge, near St-Martin-de-Beauce, with an orthotropic steel deck. This lightweight deck, approximately 2.4 kPa, facilitates rapid onsite construction, while the prefabrication...

Over the past few decades, several Concrete-Faced Rock-fill Dams (CFRD) have been constructed around the world. Current design practices are largely empirical for lack of observational evidence, particularly under earthquake dynamic loading. The structural complexity of this dam type and the high social, environmental and economic costs associated...

Stainless steel is increasingly used in a number of structural applications and less considered an exotic solution to structural engineering problems. A paradigm shift towards life-cycle costing and sustainable development, as well as superior mechanical, thermal and physical characteristics are often cited as the dominant driving force. While sign...

In recent years, studies have sought to analyse the physical and mechanical properties of scrap tires for use as a construction material. The results of these studies reveal that tire derived aggregate (TDA) has favourable properties for civil engineering applications. Among these favourable properties are the light weight, low stiffness, high perm...

Derived from scrap automobile and truck tires, Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA) is a material that has become popular in civil engineering applications in an effort towards sustainable infrastructure development. Studies have shown that scrap tires possess physical and mechanical properties suitable for use as construction material. These include light...

Exposed structural steel surfaces, particularly in steel girder bridge construction, require coating protection from harsh environmental conditions to preserve structural integrity and provide longevity. Consequently, galvanization and metallization have evolved as effective long-term protection. Practical situations exist where galvanized secondar...

The slip resistance is a critical factor influencing high strength bolted joint behaviour in steel structures under repeated loading. The surface condition of the connected steel components, also known as the faying surface, controls the level of the slip resistance. Design standards, such as the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code CAN/CSA S6-06 an...

One of the main structural components of cable-stayed bridges is the post-tensioned stay cables, which stretch diagonally from the pylons to support the horizontal deck. These essential members may be lost due to vehicular collision, excessive corrosion of connections, or wind dynamic forces. Design code provisions generally require that the bridge...

The traditional procedure for the design of cross-sections for stay cables in cable-stayed bridges involves trial-and-error. This design procedure can become computationally expensive and very monotonous, and does not guarantee an optimal design solution. The aim of this study is to develop a robust design optimization technique that aims to achiev...

The hysteretic characteristics of a structural system of a building must be well understood in order to effectively mitigate the damage caused by seismic activities. Modular steel construction is fast evolving as an effective alternative to traditional on-site construction, especially in low to medium-rise buildings where repetitive units are requi...