Summary of Activities

The performance-based design approach has gained popularity in the past decade in the seismic design of structures as well as other areas as a more flexible and rational design approach. Within this approach, there is the possibility to employ different techniques to achieve various levels of performance objectives as specified by the client for a given life span, with an optimal compromise between performance and cost. The performance-based approach provides the appropriate framework for the integration of sensing, monitoring and control functions into third-generation structures, as the state of the structure has to be judged in all cases in terms of system-level performance.
 
Issues more specific to this design methodology which require further research include the definition of performance objectives of both superstructures and foundations in a dense urban environment subject to strong winds, earthquakes and fires, the appropriate acceptance criteria, the costs and benefits of achieving different levels of performance, and the necessity to differentiate between different classes of structures. This research shall be conducted with special considerations given to the conditions of a dense urban environment where the failure of a particular structure may have much greater consequences than one in a scarcely populated area.

Tests and computer simulation for this direction have been researched for about 15 years since 1987 and the method has been applied to numerous projects successfully. For detailed job references, please contact the responsible researcher.

Technological Services provided include the following:

• Design of steel structures using advanced nonlinear analysis methods for steel frames
• Large deflection analysis of glass and aluminium panels
• Second-order analysis of steel scaffolds
• Optimisation of weight by nonlinear analysis and by member size re-allocation   

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Representative Projects

• Consultancy study on 'Structural Use of Steel using a Limit State Approach' commissioned by the Buildings Department of the Government of Hong Kong SAR.
• Design of 1,300 ton Macau-return-to-China Memorial Hall
  Advanced analysis and design of steel frames allowing for beam-column inelastic buckling RGC project, 01/02
• Static and dynamic advanced analysis of steel structures, Research Grant Council in Competitive Earmarked Research Grant (CERG) 1996/97
• (with Professor Nethercot D.A.)Nonlinear analysis of steel and composite frames with semi-rigid connections, awarded jointly with the Nottingham University by the British Council, 93/94 ,4,764. Period : 1993-1994
• Analysis and Design of Steel Frames allowing for Warping Effects, funded by Research Grant Council in Competitive Earmarked Research Grant (CERG) 1997/98
• "Stability and nonlinear analysis of glazed frames" funded by Research Grant Council in Competitive Earmarked Research Grant (CERG) Period : 1995-1996.

	The 1,300 ton space frame for Macau-return-to-China Memorial Hall. Checked by the innovative 2nd order analysis and design method without assumption of effective length and even plotting of bending moment diagram! The software Nida can also check the output accuracy by plotting bending moment, shear force, adn axial force diagrams and deformed shapes. 100% simulation-based design software developed at the PolyU.
Computer Model Developed
	Deformed shape with colors indicating the external load to buckling strength factor of each member. Nida completes the design with analysis in minutes. How long do you think we need to design manually ?

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Major Facilities

• Loading frames for scaled and full-scaled testing of steel and scaffolds in Structural Engineering laboratory
• User friendly economical and efficient second-order analysis of steel frames by section capacity check without assuming an effective length, NIDA, which was approved for practical uses by relevant authorities and licensed to universities in Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and U.K. and companies in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Trial, education, professional and specialist versions are available. Web-site of this software :
  http://www.naf-nida.com/

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Selected Publications

• Keynote lecture at 6th International Conference on STEEL & SPACE STRUCTURES, organised by the Singapore Structural Steel Society, 1-3 September 99 and paper appears in the conference proceeding pp.1-8.
• Keynote lecture at 2nd International Conference on Steel and Composite Structures” to be held in 2002 in Korea.
• Chan, S.L. and P.P.T. Chui,"Non-linear Static and Cyclic analysis of semi-rigid steel frames", Elsevier Science, 2000, pp.336.
• Chan, S.L. and Gu, J.X., "Exact Tangent Stiffness for Imperfect Beam-column Members", Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 126, No. 9, September, pp. 1094-1101, 2000.
• Chan, S.L., “Non-Linear behaviour and design of steel structures”, invited review paper, Journal of Construction Steel Research, vol. 57, no.12, December, 2001, pp.1217-1232.
• Chan, S.L. and Zhou, Z.H., Second order analysis of frame using a single imperfect element per member, Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, vol. 121, No. 6, June, 1995, pp.939-945.   

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Contact Information

Contact Person

Prof. S.L. Chan Department of Civil & Structural Engineering The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Kowloon, Hong Kong Fax:     + 852 - 2334 6389 Phone:   + 852 - 2766 6047 E-mail:  ceslchan@polyu.edu.hk

Professor Jin-Guang TENG Department of Civil & Structural Engineering The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Kowloon, Hong Kong Fax:     + 852 - 2334 6389 Phone:   + 852 - 2766 6012 E-mail:  cejgteng@polyu.edu.hk

Other Investigators

Prof. J.M. Ko (cejmko@polyu.edu.hk)
Prof. C.S. Poon (cecspoon@Polyu.edu.hk)
Prof. Y.L. Xu (ceylxu@polyu.edu.hk)
Prof. K.T. Chau (cektchau@polyu.edu.hk)
Dr. K.F. Chung (cekchung@polyu.edu.hk)