• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.221-231
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cyclic behavior of steel column-tree moment connections used in steel moment resisting frames. These connections are composed of shop-welded stub beam-to-column connection and field bolted beam-to-beam splice. In this study, the effects of beam splice length on the seismic performance of column-tree connections were experimentally investigated. The change of the beam splice location alters the bending moment and shear force at the splice, and this may affect the seismic performance of column-tree connections. Three full-scale test specimens of column-tree connections with the splice lengths of 900 mm, 1,100 mm, and 1,300 mm were fabricated and tested. The splice lengths were roughly 1/6, 1/7, 1/8 of the beam span length of 7,500 mm, respectively. The test results showed that all the specimens successfully developed ductile behavior without brittle fracture until 5% radians story drift angle. The maximum moment resisting capacity of the specimens showed little differences. The specimen with the splice length of 1,300 mm showed better bolt slip resistance than the other specimens due to the smallest bending moment at the beam splice.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.15 no.5 s.66
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• pp.531-539
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• 2003

Unlike field-welded moment frames damaged during the Northridge earthquake, a column-tree moment frame has a tool to control and reduce its seismic behavior. The tool is the girder splice. Girder splices could be designed to be sufficiently ductile and to have a prescribed bending moment capacity. In such a design, during earthquakes, the girder splices would act as ductile "fuses" and limit the magnitude of forces including the bending moment that could be developed in the frame. In Korea, most moment frames arc composed of a column-tree moment frame. Therefore, the elasto-plastic behavior of steel beams with high strength bolted friction splice should be clarified. Furthermore, structural capacities, including energy absorption capacity, must be quantitatively found. This paper discusses an experimental study to clarify elasto-plastic behavior of steel beams with high strength bolted friction splices. A total of 5 specimens were tested. A specimen was fabricated to have a beam splice designed by a full strength method. Other specimens were fabricated to have beam splices with 75%, 50% and 0% capacities compared with the specimen.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.10 no.4 s.37
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• pp.629-639
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• 1998

This paper summarizes the results of full-scale cyclic seismic performance tests on three column-tree type steel moment connections. Each test specimen consisted of a $H-600{\times}200$ beam and a $H-400{\times}400$ column of SS41 (SS400). Key parameter included was column PZ (panel zone) strength relative to beam strength. The seismic performance of specimen with stronger PZ tended to be inferior. Total plastic rotations available in the specimens ranged from 1.8 to 3.0 (% rad). The limited test results in this study seem to support the speculation that permitting PZ yielding shall be more beneficial to enhancing total plastic rotation capacity of the moment connection. Beam flange fracture across the heat affected zone and divot-type pullout of the column flange were observed in the tests. A conceptual mechanical model consistent with observed test results was also sought.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.507-518
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• 2013

The seismic performance of six types of weak-axis steel moment connections was investigated through cyclic testing of six full-scale specimens. These weak-axis moment connections were the column-tree type, WUF-B type, FF-W type, WFP type, BFP-B type and DST type weak-axis connections. The testing results showed that each of these weak-axis connection types achieved excellent seismic performance, except the WFP and the WUF-B types. The WFP and WUF-B connections displayed poor seismic performance because a fracture appeared prematurely at the weld joint due to stress concentrations. The column-tree type connection showed the best seismic behavior such that the story drift ratio could reach 5%.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.767-778
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate how a fully restrained bolted beam splice affects the connection behavior as a column-tree connection in steel special moment frames under cyclic loading when located within the plastic hinge zone. The impacts of this attachment in protected zone are observed by using nonlinear finite element analyses. This type of splice connection is designed as slip-critical connection and thereby, the possible effects of slippage of the bolts due to a possible loss of pretension in the bolts are also investigated. The 3D models with solid elements that have been developed includes three types of connections which are the connection having fully restrained beam splice located in the plastic hinge location, the connection having fully restrained beam splice located out of the plastic hinge and the connection without beam splice. All connection models satisfied the requirement for the special moment frame connections providing sufficient flexural resistance, determined at column face stated in AISC 341-16. In the connection model having fully restrained beam splice located in the plastic hinge, due to the pretension loss in the bolts, the friction force on the contact surfaces is exceeded, resulting in a relative slip. The reduction in the energy dissipation capacity of the connection is observed to be insignificant. The possibility of the crack occurrence around the bolt holes closest to the column face is found to be higher for the splice connection within the protected zone.