Abstract Modular construction is an emerging building technique with inherent advantages such as faster construction speed, lower cost and environmental impact. However, it is of great challenge to design higher-rise modular buildings. The key element is to design a feasible inter-module connection that withstands excessive wind, seismic, and gravitational load. In this study, a novel tenon-connected inter-module connection is investigated through advanced numerical approach. Although the connection design minimises on-site activities as a simple bolting procedure, there are still manufactured weld joints that exist in the connection. As revealed by previous experimental studies, fracture of the weld joints is one of governing factors for the connection behaviour. In this paper, the weld fracture is simulated by using an innovative numerical approach that incorporates a cohesive interface model. The advantages of this cohesive interface model are threefold: firstly, it requires only two parameters, namely, the cohesive strength (T0) and the critical separation (δc); secondly, it could be applied for both ductile and brittle fracture; thirdly, it is much less computationally demanding as compared with other sophisticated models. A calibration method for ratios T0/fy and δc/ey is proposed and validated using a standard compact tension test before modelling the inter-module connection. In the full range study of the novel connection, failure mechanisms are successfully simulated, including gap opening, column extrusion, and weld fracture. After validation of the connection model against existing test data, a parametric study is conducted to facilitate the optimal design of the inter-module connections.

中文翻译：

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使用内聚界面进行新型模块间连接的焊缝断裂数值模拟

摘要 模块化建筑是一种新兴的建筑技术，具有施工速度快、成本低、环境影响小等先天优势。然而，设计高层模块化建筑是一项巨大的挑战。关键要素是设计一个可行的模块间连接，以承受过大的风、地震和重力载荷。在这项研究中，通过先进的数值方法研究了一种新型的榫连接模块间连接。尽管连接设计作为简单的螺栓连接程序最大限度地减少了现场活动，但连接中仍然存在制造焊接接头。正如之前的实验研究所揭示的那样，焊接接头的断裂是连接行为的控制因素之一。在本文中，焊缝断裂是通过使用结合了内聚界面模型的创新数值方法来模拟的。这种内聚界面模型的优点有三个：首先，它只需要两个参数，即内聚强度（T0）和临界分离度（δc）；其次，它可用于韧性和脆性断裂；第三，与其他复杂模型相比，它的计算要求要低得多。在对模块间连接建模之前，使用标准紧凑拉伸测试提出并验证了比率 T0/fy 和 δc/ey 的校准方法。在对新型连接的全方位研究中，成功​​模拟了失效机制，包括间隙打开、柱挤压和焊缝断裂。根据现有测试数据验证连接模型后，