Browsing by Subject "Steel"
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Item A method for developing the true stress-strain relationship for structural steels based on tension coupon tests(2019-12-02) Jones, Cliff Andrew; Engelhardt, Michael D.; Williamson, Eric B., 1968-; Helwig, Todd; Clayton, Patricia; Taleff, EricPredicting the uniaxial stress-stress response of ductile metals like structural steel can provide valuable insight into a broad range of engineering problems. Despite a wide body of research covering more than a century, the approach and guidance related to developing the true stress-strain relationship for ductile metals—specifically structural steels—continues to change and evolve. In particular, guidance related to accurate prediction of the onset of necking and post-necking response remains a topic of ongoing research and capturing these effects remains a challenge to researchers and engineers. The research presented in this dissertation was undertaken to extend the body of knowledge in this area. Particular emphasis is placed on developing a true stress-strain relationship for structural steels that is capable of capturing the onset of necking and post-necking behavior up to fracture. In addition, as standard tension coupon load-deformation data are often the only available information from which to develop such a model, the processes and guidance presented in this dissertation require only that input information. Therefore, advanced experimental approaches and measurement techniques are not required to leverage the guidance presented herein. This path was chosen in the hopes of providing guidance that would be broadly applicable to a wide range of problems, industries, research, and practicing professionals. This dissertation proposes a method for developing a true stress-strain relationship for structural steels that can be directly used in predictive finite element analysis (FEA) models using three-dimensional (3D) solid elements. The result of this research indicate that such a model should be able to reproduce the experimental results of the tension test quite accurately, providing validation and verification of the assumed material definition. Additionally, three derivative rules are presented. These rules were distilled from existing research and provide simple guidelines for capturing necking, maintaining computational stability and uniqueness, and prohibiting post-necking cold-drawing behavior. The rules are incorporated into the recommended process for developing the true stress-strain relationship for structural steels; however, they are also presented separately so they can easily be incorporated into alternate methods for defining such a constitutive relationship. Finally, while this research has furthered the understanding of the true stress-strain relationship of structural steels, particularly in predicting necking and post-necking behavior, there is still considerable room for additional research on this topic. For example, automation, incorporating error minimizing techniques, and adding local and material-level and microstructural phenomena (e.g., void formation, growth and coalescence) each offer great potential for extending and improving the recommendations presented in this dissertation. Thus, while this effort has intentionally maintained a limited focus, it is the authors hope that it serves others as one more small step toward accurate prediction of the load-deformation behavior of structural steels and other ductile metals.Item Behavior of the shear studs in composite beams at elevated temperatures(2015-12) Dara, Sepehr; Engelhardt, Michael D.; Helwig, Todd A; Williamson, Eric B; Ghannoum, Wassim M; Ezekoye, Ofodike AIn order to improve the fire safety and at the same time to provide more economical design of composite floors in fire, it is important to understand the behavior of these systems under fire exposure. An important step needed to reach this goal is to better understand the behavior of shear studs in composite beams at elevated temperatures, which was the focus of this research study. Typically, corrugated metal decks are used in construction of composite beams. These decks act as formwork and provide reinforcement for the concrete. For this study, however, the corrugated deck was not included. Rather, this study focused on cases where there is a solid concrete slab over the steel beam. The purpose of this limitation was to first gain a thorough understanding of shear stud behavior under fire exposure for this simpler configuration. This study on shear stud behavior at elevated temperature in solid slabs included both experiments and numerical simulations. The objective of the experimental test was to develop additional data on the load-slip behavior of shear studs in solid concrete slabs at elevated temperatures, and to compare the measured shear stud strength values with the limited test data and code provisions available in the literature. Two different specimen heating scenarios were introduced. One was meant to result in a temperature gradient in the specimen to simulate a fire condition. The other scenario was meant to result in a uniform temperature throughout the specimen for comparison purposes with the other scenario. One of the conclusions was that the shear stud strength and initial stiffness in the shear stud load-slip behavior have strong correlations with bottom of stud temperature, regardless of the heating scenario. Therefore, choosing the bottom of stud temperature as a reference temperature in predicting the shear stud ultimate strength and initial stiffness is reasonable. The objective of the numerical simulations was to develop a finite element (FE) model which can predict the thermal and mechanical behavior of shear studs in solid concrete slabs at elevated temperatures, and to validate the model against the experimental data. Different aspects of modeling the specimen using the general purpose finite element software, Abaqus, were discussed. Results of the analyses were compared with the experimental results of this study. Temperatures resulting from the heat-transfer analysis were found to be in a good agreement with experimental results at some locations in the specimen. However, at some other locations the difference between the experimental and FE results were more than 100 ºC. The existing level of uncertainty in the input data highly contributes to the errors in the temperature results, and emphasizes the difficulty that exists in heat transfer modeling. The load-slip curves found from FE analysis were presented for all the tests. The ultimate strength and the initial stiffness of the specimens were predicted well by the FE analyses. However, the slip capacity did not match between the experiments and FE analyses. Several parametric studies using the finite element model were conducted to investigate the sensitivity of the analysis results to various model parameters, both for heat transfer analysis and structural response analysis. The studied parameters included thermal conductivity of concrete, convective heat transfer coefficient, resultant emissivity, thermal joint conductance coefficient, Concrete Damaged Plasticity model parameters, steel stress-strain curves recommended by two different code provisions, and concrete tensile strength. The current gaps in our knowledge about these parameters were discussed.Item Characterization of connection details for truss-diaphragm for use in full-scale experiments focused on lateral contribution of gravity connections in steel frames(2021-05-07) Schulz, Adam Carl; Clayton, Patricia M.Typical structures derive lateral strength and stiffness from only a limited number of lateral load resisting elements. Gravity framing normally accounts for the vast majority of members in a structure and is assumed not to contribute to the lateral resistance of the frame. This assumption is partly due to the perfect pin idealization for gravity connections. However, research has indicated that gravity framing offers a nonnegligible amount of lateral resistance both due to moment resistance in the connections and continuity of gravity columns. In aggregate, the moment resistance of gravity framing may substantially impact the lateral capacity of a structure. This thesis presents the details of a system-level test specimen that will be used to evaluate the contribution of gravity framing to the lateral resistance of a steel building structure. This overall research investigation is an extension of the work published by Donahue (2019) and employs many of the same details. The specimen described herein is a two-bay by three-bay structure that utilizes double-angle shear connections in the direction of loading. This structure represents one floor of a representative building with columns spanning from mid-height of the story below to mid-height of the story above. The specimen will be tested as a bare-steel frame to collect calibration data for forthcoming tests that include composite decking. In addition to explaining the geometry of the specimen, this thesis details computational and experimental testing completed to validate a horizontal-to-vertical connection between a knife plate and a WT section in a top truss diaphragm that is used to distribute lateral loads throughout the specimen. This connection was designed with the intent that the WT section will accommodate bending while limiting permanent deformations in the knife plate. While the knife plate was observed to experience substantial plastic strains in experimental subassembly testing, it was decided that the magnitude of residual deformation sustained by the knife plate would not substantially impact the constructability of subsequent test specimens. Therefore, the detail was used in the full-scale system-level specimen.Item Defining structurally acceptable properties of high-strength steel bars through material testing(2015-09-15) Slavin, Chase Meany; Ghannoum, Wassim M.; Engelhardt, Michael D.Low-cycle fatigue tests were performed on reinforcing bars in order to assess the acceptability of newly developed high-strength reinforcing bars in seismic applications. The steels tested are classified as grade 60 A706, grade 80 A706, grade 80 A615, and grade 100. The high-strength reinforcing bars tested represent the two most common manufacturing processes used today: microalloying and quenching-and-tempering. The results of these tests are presented along with comparisons between the fatigue life of bars based on steel grade and other bar properties. A statistical analysis of the test results is presented in order to assess the impact of many parameters on the low-cycle fatigue performance of grade 60 A706 and higher-strength reinforcing bars.Item Designing the Fin-de-Siecle(1990-04-04) Kostof, SpiroAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Effect of galvanization on the fatigue strength of high mast illumination poles(2010-05) Pool, Charles Stephen; Frank, Karl H.; Helwig, Todd A.; Liljestrand, Howard M.This research investigation studied the effects of galvanization on the fatigue life of high mast illumination poles. Reports that galvanization of high masts caused initial cracks to form at the toe of the weld connecting the base plate to the shaft of the pole were first validated. The effects of these initial cracks on fatigue strength were then checked through experimental testing. A variety of variables were tested for both their effects on the occurrences of the initial cracks and effects on fatigue life. These variables included testing galvanized against ungalvanized specimens, testing of varying fabricators and galvanizers, and testing of various types of connection details. These test results were compared against inspection results provided by Texas Department of Transportation inspectors. Also, methods of mitigating the effects of toe cracks on the fatigue life of poles were investigated. A method for repairing specimens both in the fabrication shop and in the field were developed and tested. Both methods showed strong improvement in fatigue life of the specimens providing a possible repair solution.Item Esther Da Costa Meyer: Tradition and Modernity in Fin-de-Siecle Vienna(1991-10-23) da Costa Meyer, EstherAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Fatigue behavior of post-installed shear connectors used to strengthen continuous non-composite steel bridge girders(2016-08) Ghiami Azad, Amir Reza; Engelhardt, Michael D.; Williamson, Eric B., 1968-; Helwig, Todd A; Jirsa, James O; Taleff, Eric MMany older bridges in Texas are constructed with floor systems consisting of a concrete slab over steel girders. A potentially economical means of strengthening these floor systems is to connect the existing concrete slab and steel girders using post-installed shear connectors to change the behavior of the beam from non-composite to partially-composite. Since fatigue is one of the main concerns in designing bridges, investigating the fatigue properties of these post-installed shear connectors becomes crucial. Results from direct-shear testing show that post-installed shear connectors have a better fatigue life compared to conventional welded shear studs. However, based on currently available data from direct-shear tests, fatigue life of post-installed shear connectors is still inadequate for economical retrofit in some cases. Furthermore, it is unclear if direct-shear tests provide an appropriate means of evaluating fatigue performance. The objective of this dissertation is to develop new and more accurate approaches for evaluating the fatigue characteristics of post-installed shear connectors. This objective is addressed through large-scale beam fatigue tests and computational studies. The focus of the work is on evaluating fatigue life of shear connectors based on both slip and stress demands.Item Fluorescent coatings for corrosion detection in steel and aluminum alloys(2010-05) Liu, Guangjuan; Wheat, Harovel Grays; Goodenough, John B.; Kovar, Desiderio; Taleff, Eric M.; Juenger, MariaCoatings are often used as a means of protecting aluminum alloy and steel structures in industry. The assessment of corrosion under these coatings can be challenging. Corrosion sensing coatings can exhibit properties that allow undercoating corrosion to be identified before it can be seen with the naked eye. This would be very advantageous and could potentially result in tremendous savings in time and money when structures undergo routine maintenance. Our work involved the study of corrosion sensing coatings with incorporated fluorescent indicators that can be used to sense the undercoating corrosion on metal substrates. The fluorescent indicator in the coated-aluminum system was a negative indicator, i.e. the indicator in the coating was initially fluorescent and subsequently non-fluorescent due to the reduced pH at the anodic sites of corrosion. The fluorescent indicator in coated-steel system was positive, in the sense that the coating changed from non-fluorescent to fluorescent over the cathodic areas due to increased pH. The corrosion sensing coating was composed of commercial epoxy-polyamide and the indicator: 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (7-AMC) for the coated-aluminum alloy system and 7-diethylamino-4-methylcoumarin (7-DMC) for the coated-steel system. The feasibility of using 7-AMC for sensing early undercoating corrosion was demonstrated by using fluorescent observations, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) tests. EIS results estimated that with continuous immersion the undercoating corrosion occurred within 24 hours after immersion in the salt solution. When corrosion occurred, the corrosion was invisible under natural light. However, small spots appeared in the fluorescent image, changing from initially fluorescent to non-fluorescent where the anodic sites were identified by SEM and EDS. In other words, the fluorescent indicator could sense the early undercoating corrosion, although blistering can be a competing mechanism associated with corrosion under some conditions. The sensitivity of the 7-AMC corrosion detection system was tested by applying anodic current to the metal and measuring the charge at which fluorescence quenching was detected. The critical charge for a detectable pit under the coating was approximately 2x10⁻⁵ C, which implied a critical radius of a single corrosion spot or set of spots of approximately 10 [mu]m. The fluorescent properties of 7-AMC, its effect on the protectiveness, its sensitivity to pH and its concentration in the coating are explored as well. Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to characterize the structure of the coating with and without 7-AMC. The results suggested that there is no structure change occurring after adding 7-AMC into the coating. Fluorescence behavior, electrochemical behavior, microscopic evidence, and visual observations of coated steel specimens with 7-DMC are compared based on exposure to saltwater conditions. Some of the challenges associated with the use of these types of coatings will be presented. This includes the interference from the increased production of ferrous and ferric ions. All of this information is aimed at the development of corrosion sensing coatings that can reveal undercoating corrosion before it is visible to the naked eye.Item A fracture mechanics approach to accelerated life testing for cathodic delamination at polymer/metal interfaces(2013-05) Mauchien, Thomas Kevin; Liechti, K. M.This work presents a fracture mechanics analysis of the cathodic delamination problem for the polyurethane/titanium and polyurea/steel interfaces. The nonlinear behavior of both polymers was investigated. The recent Marlow model was used to define the strain energy function of the polymers. Viscoelastic effects of the polyurea were also studied. The Marlow model was associated with a nine-term Prony series. This model was seen to represent experimental data relatively well for a wide range of strain rates both in tension and compression. The driving force for delamination, the strain energy release rate G, is presented for both interfaces. Cathodic delamination data for several temperatures are presented as crack growth rate as a function of crack driving force. The approach recognizes that both temperature and stress can be used as accelerated life testing parameters.Item Galvanizing crack formation at base plate to shaft welds of high mast illumination poles(2011-08) Kleineck, James Robert; Helwig, Todd Aaron, 1965-; Engelhardt, MichaelHigh mast illumination poles (HMIPs) are tall cantilevered structures used to efficiently illuminate large portions of highways and interchanges. Great interest in the performance of HMIPS has arisen from the discovery of extensive premature cracking at the toes of base plate to pole shaft welds of poles currently in service. These cracks, in some cases, have become so severe that HMIPs have actually collapsed, and therefore present a great threat to public safety. Previous research at the University of Texas at Austin sought to solve the design problems posed by these pole failures by conducting both full-scale and analytical tests on optimized designs of HMIPs for fatigue loads. These studies indicated that using full penetration welds to connect 3" thick base plates to relatively thin shaft walls minimized warping of the base plate during fatigue loading, and maximized fatigue performance. Toward the end of these studies when researchers sought to test an uncoated optimized HMIP back-to-back against a galvanized HMIP of the same design and material, researchers discovered the galvanized specimen had cracked during the galvanizing process. This finding prompted an in-depth study to determine the cause of these cracks, and to determine if practices could be implemented to prevent crack formation. Initially, bend radius, chemistry, and shaft to base plate thickness studies were conducted to find how these parameters affect HMIPs during galvanizing. These parameters were found to play a minor role in the cracking of HMIPs relative to the thermal effects induced during the galvanizing process. Full-scale and analytical tests verified the impact of thermal straining within HMIPs during galvanizing. Instrumenting HMIPs and smaller HMIP stub sections with thermocouples and strain gages provided temperature and initial strain gradients resulting from exposure to the molten zinc bath. This data, as well as observations of cracks in the tested HMIP sections, aided the development of a finite element parametric study comparing HMIPs of the same 150' length and 80 mph design but varying shaft thicknesses. This research concludes that reducing the pole shaft diameter to thickness ratio reduces the likelihood of galvanizing crack formation.Item Gary Cunningham Guest Lecture(1994-02-28) Cunningham, GaryAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Michael Dennis Modern Campus Plan Lecture(1990-02-28) Dennis, MichaelAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Os isotopic compositions of mantle peridotites and steels : implications for Pt-Re-Os evolution of the Earth's upper mantle and continental crust(2016-08) Chatterjee, Rudra Narayan; Lassiter, John C.; Gardner, James; Barnes, Jaime; Lavier, Luc; Loewy, Staci; Snow, JonathanThe ¹⁹⁰Pt-¹⁸⁶Os system can be useful to examine a number of different geologic processes including core-mantle interaction, examining the role of pyroxenites or sulfides in mantle melting and dating of Platinum Group Element (PGE) based ores. Limited natural variation of ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os in the mantle requires extremely high precision to detect natural variations. I identified Johnson noise on baseline integrations to be the largest source of analytical error for the quantities of Os and ¹⁸⁶Os beam intensities utilized in previous ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os studies. Increasing the duration of baseline measurement significantly reduces the Johnson noise error, allowing to achieve maximum external precision for a given sample size. ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os variations in mantle peridotites provide constraints on the long-term Pt/Os evolution of the depleted mantle and the Pt/Os ratio of the primitive upper mantle (PUM). Fertility-¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os correlations in mantle peridotites were used to infer PUM ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os and Pt/Os ratios. I found that PUM Pt/Os ratio is broadly chondritic, consistent with a late veneer addition of chondritic materials and similar to most fertile peridotites. I proposed that the departures in PUM Pd/Ir and Ru/Ir ratios from chondritic values could be explained by minor metal or sulfide segregation to the Earth’s core occurring concurrently with late veneer addition. Combined ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os-¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os isotopic and Pt/Os and Re/Os variability in peridotites suggest an average mantle homogenization timescale of ~1.2 Ga, consistent with timescales predicted for whole mantle convection. Steels offer a unique opportunity to determine ¹⁸⁶Os-¹⁸⁷Os compositions of crustal and mantle-reservoirs sampled by iron ore, coal and chromitites used in its manufacture. My results indicate that mixing between unradiogenic, upper mantle-like Os derived from chromitites and radiogenic, crustal like Os from iron ore and coal can explain the observed Os concentration and isotope variations in steels. Extrapolation of ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os-¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os trend in steels allows inference of its mantle and crustal- end member components. Extrapolation of ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os-¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os trends to the estimated ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os of chromitites yields a ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os value consistent with derivation of chromitites from mantle sources during Archean to Proterozoic and subsequent evolution with subchondritic Pt/Os ratios. Extrapolation of steel ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os-¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os trends to ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os values typical for banded iron formations and coal yields a ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os value indistinguishable from present-day upper mantle and within uncertainty of the PUM at the time of BIF and/or coal formation, but systematically lower than bulk upper continental crust (UCC). Previous studies (McDaniel et al., 2004) also report similar unradiogenic (in comparison to upper continental crust) ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os values for seawater derived marine Mn-nodules and black shales. Preferential weathering of crustal sulfides with low Pt/Os ratios and lower ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os values than bulk UCC can explain the systematically lower ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os values in crustal weathering products relative to bulk UCC.Item Parametric collapse evaluation of steel moment resisting frames with fuse connections(2022-08-12) Gilroy, Joseph; Engelhardt, Michael D.; Clayton, Patricia M.; Kallivokas, Loukas; McManus, PatrickRecent research has investigated a low damage seismic design concept for steel moment resisting frames (MRFs): the moment resisting fuse connection. Fuse connections are moment resisting connections that yield prior to the beam or column they connect. The connection acts as an easily repairable structural fuse of the seismic system instead of the beam, which is the typical fuse in a steel moment resisting frame designed to resist seismic loads, which can be very challenging and costly to repair after an earthquake. In most proposed fuse connections, energy dissipation is achieved by means of connection component yielding or friction slip. In AISC 358-16 (AISC, 2016c), the first prequalified fuse connection was added to the specification: the Simpson Strong-Tie™ Yield-Link® (SST-YL) connection. Although the connection has shown sufficient strength and ductility at large levels of drift to reach prequalified status, there is some concern that steel MRFs with optimized fuse connections will not have the typical overstrength of traditional steel MRFs, which are usually controlled by drift limits rather than strength requirements. This concern raises the question: Are steel moment resisting frames with fuse connections adequately designed to prevent sidesway collapse during earthquakes when using typical seismic performance factors (R = 8, C [subscript d] = 5.5, and Ω₀ = 3.0) for steel special moment resisting frames (SMRFs)? To investigate this concept, four three-bay steel special moment resisting frames with fuse connections were designed using provisions in ASCE7-16 (ASCE, 2017), AISC 341-16 (AISC, 2016a), AISC 360-16 (AISC, 2016b), and AISC 358-16s20 (AISC, 2020) with steel SMRF seismic performance factors. These frames were 2 stories, 4 stories, 6 stories, and 8 stories in height. These four archetypes were also redesigned with modified capacity design requirements more comparable to typical steel MRFs for a total of four design cases. These designs were evaluated using the FEMA P-695 methodology (FEMA, 2009) to determine if they have adequate collapse capacity. Different post-yield behaviors and failure criteria were modeled to determine their effect on system collapse capacity. Nonlinear pushover and response history analyses were done using OpenSEES (McKenna et al., 2010). The results of this investigation support that the seismic performance factors for typical SMRF frames are appropriate for use in SMRFs with fuse connections. However, there are several sources of uncertainty that require further investigation and research to determine to what extent this conclusion is accurate, particularly for new fuse connections that may be proposed. Suggestions for future research into numerical modeling and analysis of SMRFs with fuse connections are presented.Item Passive, wireless corrosion sensors for reinforced concrete structures(2007-08) Puryear, John M. H. (John Mark Howard); Wood, Sharon L.Corrosion of steel in reinforced concrete structures is a costly problem. Effective planning is required to raise the considerable capital expended annually on the repair and replacement of structures damaged by corrosion. Essential to this planning is knowledge that corrosion has initiated in a given structure. The passive, wireless corrosion sensor is a technology that could potentially provide this knowledge of initiation of corrosion, both economically and reliably. The sensor, which consists of two resistor-inductor-capacitor circuits, requires no onboard power supply or wires to send a signal. The signal of the sensor is obtained by magnetic coupling with a reader coil. As a threshold sensor, the sensor has a binary output with one signal indicating that corrosion has not initiated and another signal indicating that corrosion has initiated. Multiple designs of the sensor have been tested in concrete and reinforced concrete structures, some full-scale, subjected to extreme environmental conditions over long durations. Certain designs have proved highly reliably at indicating the initiation of corrosion, verifying the concept of the passive, wireless corrosion sensor.Item Philip D. Creer Lecture(1987-03-06) Creer, PhilipAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Recent Finland Architecture(1993-03-09) Komonen, MarkkuAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Skewed Cross Frame Connection Stiffness(2009-12) Battistini, Anthony David; Engelhardt, Michael D.; Helwig, Todd A.Cross frames and diaphragms are essential to the stability of straight steel girder bridge systems as they help to resist lateral torsional buckling during construction and horizontal loading conditions. In skewed bridge systems, cross frames are often oriented parallel to the supports and hence, at an angle to the girder. To facilitate construction fit-up, plates, bent to match the skew angle, form the cross frame to stiffener connection. While the bent plate connection is a simple solution, it could introduce undesirable flexibility into the system, potentially compromising the effective brace stiffness. A proposed detail utilizing half pipe stiffeners may provide enhanced structural performance, while possibly reducing overall fabrication costs. Field and laboratory tests to determine the stiffness of both connection types are presented in the thesis.Item T(2013-05) Vu, Bich N.; Mickey, Susan E.; Isackes, Richard; Stoney, JohnT is a thesis installation that explores the semiotics of public dress through the fundamentals of sculpture: mass and form, material and process, site and context. This exhibition consists of four T-shirt shaped objects made out of steel, aluminum, talcum, and sugar . A T-shirt is arguably a universally recognizable article of clothing, but its familiarity when juxtaposed with everyday material challenges the social identity of dress. As a theatrical designer experimenting with sculpture, Bich Vu investigates the ways clothing and space facilitates a narrative. The different arrangements of the objects within the installation are performances created in collaboration with guest directors and choreographers from the Department of Theatre & Dance.