CE 257 – Introduction to Finite Element Modeling 16 March 2016

Project Research Proposal Structural Engineering Group

Numerical Assessment of Uplift of GI Corrugated Sheets considering Nail

Uncertainty
Acosta, Timothy*
Bisa, Harvey*
Garde, Felix Jr.*
*Graduate Student, M.S Structural Engineering
Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman

Advisers:
Prof. Jaime Hernandez Jr.
Associate Professor, Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman

Abstract: This study aims to provide an efficient and accurate assessment of the uplift capacities of these
roof panels to understand better the behaviour and responses of non-engineered residential roof systems. A
nonlinear finite element model will be developed using the commercial package ANSYS 15.0. The model
used by He, W. (2010) to correlate the nail withdrawal behaviour within a panel will be used to include nail
uncertainty in the analysis. A parametric study on the fasteners schedule will be done. The corresponding
force-displacement curve for the nails will be investigated.

1. INTRODUCTION nail withdrawal capacity is uncertain and

Damages due to hurricane winds in the
Philippines are very prominent. These
damages are most evident in low-cost
residential buildings which can be found in
the provinces. Out of the building envelope
of these buildings, the roof panels are the
most sensitive to wind induced damages.
Roofing materials are always subjected to
negative pressure during typhoons which
cause uplift to the fasteners.
Cunninghan (1992) first estimated the uplift
capacity of the panel using the largest
tributary area associated with each fastener
in the panel. Mizzel (1994) then modelled
the panel using shell elements in a finite
element model with the nail connections
modelled as linear elastic springs. The
model predicted the uplift capacity under
static wind load. The two models showed a
difference in predicted uplift capacity and
the difference was lessened as the spacing
between fasteners decreased. However, the
this in turn affects the estimation of the
uplift capacity under negative wind loads.
These uncertainties are influenced by the
wood density, moisture content, nail
installation method and the statistical
inhomogeneity in timber or lumber.
Incorporation of this uncertainty by using
the tributary area approach was then
presented by Rosowsky and Schiff (1996)
and Sutt (2000). He, W. (2010) was then
able to come up with a finite element model
incorporating the nail uncertainty through
correlating each nails within the panel
attached to the same species of wood.
For the analysis, the resistance or capacity
curve defined by the uplift force versus
displacement of a critical nail of the panel
can be obtained using the non-linear static
pullover analysis (NSP). Krawinkler and
Seneviratna (1998) discuss the benefits of
using a NSP over a dynamic analysis is
determining seismic capacities. For the
model of He,W. (2010), the uplift capacity is
defined as the applied wind pressure or the ko = initial stiffness
point where non-convergence for an The force displacement relations is
increased win pressure is observed. This is described by:
provided that a stable and reliable numerical
method is used for the analysis. F = fp + (Qo + Q1d )(1-exp(-kod / Qo ))

There are also other analyses such as the
Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) by
Vamvatsikos and Cornell (2002) which
gives the responses for a given time-varying
wind pressure of interest.
for dp < D < dm where d=D-dp
F = fm exp(Q4 (D-dm)2 )
for D >dm where Q4 = ln(Q2) / [dm (Q3 – 1)]2

He, W. (2010) also used a dynamic analysis The force-displacement curve is shown in
without the use of viscous damping to figure 2.
overcome the non-convergence after the
descending branch of the capacity curve. He
considered the panel subjected to a ramp
load defined by uniform distributed pressure
whose magnitude increased linearly with
time.

2. METHODOLOGY

For this study, the commercial package

ANSYS 15.0 will be used. The panel will be
modelled using 4-node shell elements (Shell
63) with 6 degree of freedoms at each node,
considering both bending and membrane
stiffness to allow for a geometric non-linear
analysis. The nails will be modelled using a
1D nonlinear spring (Combin 39).
Figure 1. Force-Displacement Curve
The available nonlinear force-deformation
curves for modelling the nail withdrawal The model parameters Qo to Q3 are taken
behaviour include a elastoplastic model done from experimental set-ups. Model
by Chui et al (1998) and a tri-linear model parameters for 8d common nails are
(Groom and Leichti 1993). In this study, to suggested by Foschi (2000).
model the nail withdrawal capacity we use
the parameters used by Groom and Leichti For the correlation of the nails in the panel,
(1993) and Foschi (2000) which are the the model considers a random variable of
following: interest denoted as Yi expressed as:
fm = ultimate withdrawal force Yi = Yo × Xi , i=1, ... ,n,
fp = proportional limit
dm = displacement corresponding to fm where Yo and Xi are independent random
dp = displacement corresponding to fp variables.
 3. EXPECTED OUTPUTS
The correlation coefficient between Yi and Yj
for i ≠ j, pij is given by:

pij =

and the cov of Yi, vi, equals

.

For the analysis, a nonlinear static pullover

method with uniformly distributed pressure
over the panel instead of using nonlinear
dynamic or quasi-static analysis is done to
obtain the capacity curve. Another analysis
is also done without considering the nail
uncertainty for comparison. For the
indication of system failure, the failure to
convergence is used. This non-convergence
is the result of the physical separation of the
roof system from the supports. Another way Figure 3. Stress Contours of the Panel
of looking at it is that the displacements of
the nodes at the connectors/fasteners are so One of the expected outputs of this study is
large that they lead to divergence. Once the the equivalent stress contours of the roof
failure state is declared, the corresponding panel. This would allow us to see where the
mean wind speed is evaluated. stress concentrations are and enable us to
pin-point the progression of connection
The flowchart of the methodology can be failure.
seen in Figure 2.
The force-deformation curve for the
connections is one of the interests of this
 study. These curves would also differ for the
different analyses used in the study. An
example of this can be seen in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Force-Displacement Curve for
Different analysis
The effect of the correlation of nail
withdrawal behaviour on the panel uplift
capacity is also of interest.
4. REFERENCES
1.) Chui, Y.H., Ni, C., and Jiang, L. (1998). Finite
element model for nailed wood joints under
reversed cyclic load, Journal of Structural
Engineering, ASCE, 124(1), pp 96-103.
2.) Cunningham, T.P. (1992). Roof sheathing
fastening schedules for wind uplift, APA
Report T92-28, American Plywood
Association, Tacoma, WA.
3.) Foschi, R.O. (2000). Modeling the hysteretic
response of mechanical connections for wood
structures, Proc., World Conf. on Timber
Engrg., Dept. of Wood Sci., ed., University of
British Columbia, Vancouver.
4.) Groom, K.M. and Leichti, R.J. (1993). Load
withdrawal displacement characteristics of
nails, Forest Products Journal, 43(1), pp. 51-
54.
5.) Krawinkler, H. and Seneviratna, G.D.P.K.
(1998). Pros and cons of a pushover analysis
of seismic performance evaluation,
Engineering Structures, 20(4-6), pp.452-464.
6.) Mizzell, D.P. (1994). Wind Resistance of
Sheathing for Residential Roofs, MS thesis, 41,
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Clemson University,
Clemson, S. C.
7.) Rosowsky, D.V. and Schiff, S.D. (1996).
Probabilistic modeling of roof sheathing uplift
capacity, Probabilistic Mechanics and
Structural and Geotechnical Reliability,
Proceedings of the Specialty Conference,
pp.334-337.
8.) He, Weixian (2010). Numerical Assessment of
Roof Panel Uplift Capacity under Wind Load.
Dissertation, Dept. Of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, The University of Western
Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
9.) Shanmugam, B. (2011). Probabilistic
Assessment of Uplift Capacities in Low-Rise
Residential Construction, Dissertation, Dept.
of Civil Engineering, Clemson University,
Clemson, S. C.
10.) Molina, J. (2013). Analysis of the Stresses in
Corrugated Sheets under Bending. University
of the Wood Industrial Engineering,
Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, SP,
Brazil