Structure cladding interaction
These publications are all published under SCITIC and represent the current state-of-the-art in SCI. All papers are authored or co-authored by members of the SCIT team.
J M Davies, M J Roberts, Y C Wang (2021), Stressed skin theory and structure cladding interaction: Safety concerns with Big Sheds, Thin-Walled Structures, Volume 169, 108415, ISSN 0263-8231, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tws.2021.108415.
M J Roberts, J M Davies, Y C Wang (2022), Modern cladding systems for big sheds: The emerging state of the art, Thin-Walled Structures, Volume 175, 109264, ISSN 0263-8231, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tws.2022.109264.
M Gryniewicz, M J Roberts, J M Davies (2021), Testing and analysis of a full-scale steel-framed building including the consideration of structure-cladding interaction, Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Volume 181, 106611, ISSN 0143-974X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2021.106611
M J Roberts, J M Davies, Y C Wang (2021), Numerical analysis of a clad portal frame structure tested to destruction, Structures, Volume 33, pp. 3779-3797, ISSN 2352-0124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2021.06.098.
M J Roberts, J M Davies, Y C Wang (2023), Structure cladding interaction in sandwich panel roofs, Structures, Volume 57, ISSN 2352-0124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2023.105064
M J Roberts (2023), Modelling structure cladding interaction in large single-storey steel-framed buildings, PhD thesis, University of Manchester
J M Davies & M J Roberts (2025), Are big sheds safe?, Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Volume 229, 109497, ISSN 0143-974X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2025.109497
Stressed skin design
These largely historical publications are some of the key publications relating to stressed skin design from which Structure Cladding Interaction is a logical development. Many such papers etc. are no longer readily available but SCIT has a massive archive of such publications. All of these listed are either authored or co-authored by members of the SCIT team.
Davies J M (1976), Calculation of steel diaphragm behaviour, Journal of the Structural Division, Volume 102 (7), pp 1411-1430, https://doi.org/10.1061/JSDEAG.0004390
Davies J M & Lawson R M (1978), Light gauge steel diaphragms with openings, IABSE Proceedings, 2(P-16)
Davies J M, and Bryan E R (1982), Manual of stressed skin diaphragm design, Granada Publishing
Davies J M (1986), A general solution for the shear flexibility of profiled sheets I: Development and verification of the method, Thin-Walled Structures, Volume 4, pp 41-68
Davies J M (1986), A general solution for the shear flexibility of profiled sheets II: Applications of the method, Thin-Walled Structures, Volume 4, pp 151-161
Davies J M & Fisher J (1987), End failures in stressed skin diaphragms, Proceedings of the Institution of civil engineers, Volume 83, March, pp 275-293
Davies J M & Lawson R M (1999), Stressed skin action of modern steel roof systems, The Structural Engineer, Volume 77 (21)
Davies J M (2006), Developments in stressed skin design, Thin-Walled Structures, Volume 44(12), pp 1250-1260, ISSN 0263-8231, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tws.2007.01.002
Davies J M (2006), Light gauge steel cassette wall construction – theory and practice, Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Volume 62 (11), pp 1077-1086, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2006.06.028
Plastic design
The plastic design of steel frames is included here because, in the UK, the portal frames of most ‘Sheds’ of all sizes are generally designed using plastic theory. This is because of the ready availability of software that is able to carry out the full design calculations in a format suitable for submission to the local authorities for approval on the basis of input from a simple pre-processor. However, this software was written soon after the publication of BS 5950-1 (1981) when sheds were still relatively small. As far as SCIT is aware, there has not been any significant updating of this software since then with the result that no account is taken of the ‘effects of scale’, i.e. that structures are becoming “longer, wider and taller” to such an extent that the available standards are no longer adequate. [see the SCOSS Alert (anon)]
As has recently been discussed in some detail in a SCITIC technical paper entitled “Are Big Sheds Safe?, the plastic design of steel portal frame sheds has had a very chequered career. Plastic design has always been a UK speciality and leading UK researchers (including SCIT’s Professor Davies) contributed to its early development. However, as these early pioneers retired or moved on to other things, Professor M R Horne was left isolated with a number of important issues unresolved. Some of these remained unresolved when Horne himself retired. Among these is the crucial issue of the stability of portal frame haunches, usually assumed to be stabilised by ‘fly braces’ and the cladding system (including LGS purlins.) At the present time (June 2025), a SCITIC paper on this subject is being drafted.
Horne described his understanding of this subject at the time of his retirement in the book “Plastic design of low-rise frames” by Horne and Morris (1981) which provided the basis for the relevant clauses of BS5950-1 and remains this to the present day. The subsequently written “Plastic design to BS 5950” by Davies and Brown (1996) includes some clarification but no new research (the authors were not funded for any). This is a particularly pertinent example of a fundamental deficiency in the state of the art in constructional steelwork, namely that many of our design standards and codes of practice are hopelessly out of date yet designers are content to rely on them rather than seek out more up to date information.
Davies J M (1966), Frame instability and strain hardening in plastic theory, Journal of the Structural Division, Volume 92 (3), pp 1411-1430, https://doi.org/10.1061/JSDEAG.0001454
Davies JM (1967), Collapse and shakedown loads of plane frames, Journal of the Structural Division, Volume 93(3), pp 35-50, https://doi.org/10.1061/JSDEAG.0001714
Davies J M (1973), The plastic collapse of framed structures clad with corrugated steel sheeting, Proceedings of the Institution of civil engineers, Volume 55, pp 23-42
Davies J M, P Engel, Liu T T C, Morris L J (1990), Realistic modelling of steel portal frame behaviour, The Structural Engineer, Volume 68(1)
Davies J M (1990), In plane stability in portal frames, The Structural Engineer, Volume 68(8), pp 141-147
Davies J M (1991), The stability of multi bay portal frames, The Structural Engineer, Volume 69(12), pp 223-229
Davies J M and Brown B A (1996), Plastic design to BS 5950, The Steel Construction Institute and Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford, UK
Davies (2002), Second-order elastic-plastic analysis of plane frames, Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Volume 58(10), October pp 1315-1330, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0143-974X(02)00013-5
Cladding systems
These publications represent the key publications relating to the design of cladding systems. All publications were edited, authored or co-authored by members of the SCIT team.