• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1251-1264
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• 2016

After observing relatively poor performance of bolted web-welded flange beam-to-column connections during 1994 Northridge earthquake, various types of connections based on two concepts of: (i) strengthening the connection; and (ii) weakening the beam ends were proposed. Among these modified or newly proposed connections, bolted T-stub connection follows the concept of strengthening. One of the connections with the idea of weakening the beam ends is reduced beam section (RBS). In this paper, finite element simulation is used to study the cyclic behavior of a new proposed connection developed by using a combination of both mentioned concepts. Investigated connections are exterior beam-to-column connections designed to comply with AISC provisions. The results show that moment capacity and dissipated energy of the new proposed connection is almost the same as those computed for a T-stub connection and higher than corresponding values for an RBS connection.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.69-77
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• 2003

This paper presents test results on eight reduced beam section(RBS) steel moment connections. The testing program addressed bolted versus welded web connection and panel zone(PZ) strength as key variables, Specimens with medium PZ strength were designed to promote energy dissipation from both PZ and RBS regions such that the requirement for expensive doublet plates could be reduced. Both strong and medium PZ specimens with a welded web connection were able to provide satisfactory connection rotation capacity for special moment-resisting frames. On the other hand, specimens with a bolted web connection performed poorly due to premature brittle fracture of the beam flange of the weld access hole. If fracture within the beam flange groove weld was avoided using quality welding, the fracture tended to move into the beam flange base metal of the weld access hole. Plausible explanation of a higher incidence of base metal fracture in bolted web specimens was presented. The measured strain data confirmed that the classical beam theory dose not provide reliable shear transfer prediction in the connection. The practice of providing web bolts uniformly along the beam depth was brought into question. Criteria for a balanced PZ strength improves the plastic rotation capacity while reduces the amount of beam distortion ore also proposed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.12 no.5 s.48
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• pp.487-494
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• 2000

This paper intends to propose design information with the result or comparing the deformation capacity with different panel stiffness specimens and estimating the plastic deformation capacity, toughness and strength of welded joint connection according to the different scallop types. The test results of the beam to column unit structure are as follow: the non-scalloped and the low stiffness panel specimen have more desirable result values than the scalloped and the high stiffness one in plastic deformation. Comparing the scallop types shows very unlikely tendency as follows, second cracking occurs at the very edge of scallop in the scalloped specimen otherwise cracking occurs bond area of welded beam flange in the non-scalloped one.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 2017

In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, connection damage initiated from the beam bottom flange was prevalent. The presence of a concrete slab and resulting composite action was speculated as one of the critical causes of the prevalent bottom flange fracture. In this study, four seismic retrofit schemes are proposed in order to salvage welded steel moment connections with composite floor slabs in existing steel moment frames. Because top flange modification of existing beams is not feasible due to the presence of a concrete floor slab, three schemes of bottom flange modification by using welded triangular or straight haunches or RBS(reduced beam section), and beam web strengthening by attaching heavy shear tab were cyclically tested and analyzed. Test results of this study show that haunch and web-strengthened specimens can eliminate the detrimental effect caused by composite action and ensure excellent connection plastic rotation exceeding 5% rad. Design recommendations for each retrofit scheme together with supplemental numerical studies are also presented.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.16 no.2 s.69
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• pp.247-255
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• 2004

An experimental program was undertaken to develop seismic retrofit methods of existing steel moment connections with floor slab for improved seismic performance. Five full-scale composite specimens were tested under cyclic loading. Conventional through-diaphragm connections [please check this; no search results were found for through-diaphragm connections] composed of square-tube column and H-beam were retrofitted by adding either a bottom-flange dogbone (RBS) or an improved welded horizontal stiffener at the beam bottom flange. The effectiveness of the proposed retrofit connections schemes was evaluated. The specimen retrofitted using the RBS concept at the bottom flange showed poor connection ductility. In contrast. specimens with the proposed horizontal stiffener details exhibited improved connection ductility.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.315-328
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• 2018

Built-up Double-I (BD-I) columns consist of two hot rolled IPE sections and two cover plates which are welded by fillet welds. In Iran, this type of column is commonly used in braced frames with simple connections and sometimes in low-rise Moment Resisting Frames (MRF) with Welded Flange Plate (WFP) beam-column detailing. To evaluate the seismic performance of WFP connection of I-beam to BD-I column, traditional and modified exterior MRF connections were tested subjected to cyclic prescribed loading of AISC. Test results indicate that the traditional connection does not achieve the intended behavior while the modified connection can moderately meet the requirements of MRF connection. The numerical models of the connections were developed in ABAQUS finite element software and validated with the test results. For this purpose, moment-rotation curves and failure modes of the tested connections were compared with the simulation results. Moreover to avoid improper failure modes, some improvements of the connections were evaluated through a numerical study.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.585-603
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• 2013

Generally the required strength and stiffness of an I-shaped beam to the box-shaped column connection is achieved if continuity plates are welded to the column flanges from all sides. However, welding the forth edge of a continuity plate to the column flange may not be easily done and is normally accompanied by remarkable difficulties. This study was aimed to propose an alternative for box columns with continuity plates to diminish such problems. For this purpose a double-web I-shaped column was proposed. In this case the strength and rotational stiffness of the connection was provided by nearing the column webs to each other. Finite element studies on about 120 beam-column connections showed that the optimum proportion of the distance between two column webs and the width of the column flange (parameter ${\beta}$) was a function of the ratio of the beam flange width to the column flange width (parameter ${\alpha}$). Hence, based on the finite element results, an equation was proposed to estimate the optimum value of parameter ${\beta}$ in terms of parameter ${\alpha}$ to achieve the highest connection performance. Results also showed that the strength and ductility of post-Northridge connections of such columns are in average 12.5 % and 54% respectively higher than those of box-shaped columns with ordinary continuity plates. Therefore, a double-web I-shaped column of optimum arrangement might be a proper replacement for a box column with continuity plates when beams are rigidly attached to it.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.3 no.3 s.9
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• pp.95-103
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• 2003

Frame is one of the most commonly used structural systems for the resistance of applied loads. Many researchers have recently conducted their studies to investigate the effect of several parameters such as the connection flexibility, boundary condition of each support, beam-to-column stiffness ratio. These parameters play important roles on the characteristic behavior of frames. A simplified spring model is proposed to obtain the story drifts of frames with various beam-to-column connection stiffnesses in this research. A point bracing system with adequate spring stiffness is also suggested to establish the relationship between the applied load and the resisting translational spring stiffness within the limit state of story drift.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.121-130
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• 2002

This paper presents the tensile behavior of a Concrete-Filled Square Steel Tubular (CFT) column to H-beam welded connections. These connections were externally reinforced with T-shaped stiffeners at the junction of CFT column and beam. The tensile loading tests of eighteen tee-joint connections and finite element analysis using ANSYS were carried out. The main parameters of tests are as follows: 1) the thickness of Square Steel Tubular Column : 6 mm, 9 mm, 2) the strength ratios of tensile strength of horizontal stiffeners to tensile strength of beam flange : 70 %, 100 %, 150 %, 3) the strength ratios of shear strength of vertical stiffeners to tensile strength of beam flange : 80 %, 115 %, 160 %. The results of the tests demonstrate that overall behavior and failure modes of all the specimens are governed mainly by the horizontal stiffeners rather than the vertical stiffeners, and the vertical stiffener played only a role in transferring load introduced from beam to column.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1403-1419
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• 2015

When precast concrete infill panels are connected to steel frames at discrete locations, interaction at the structural interface is neither complete nor absent. The contribution of precast concrete infill panels to the lateral stiffness and strength of steel frames can be significant depending on the quality, quantity and location of the discrete interface connections. This paper presents preliminary experimental and finite element results of an investigation into the composite behaviour of a square steel frame with a precast concrete infill panel subject to lateral loading. The panel is connected at the corners to the ends of the top and bottom beams. The Frame-to-Panel-Connection, FPC4 between steel beam and concrete panel consists of two parts. A T-section with five achor bars welded to the top of the flange is cast in at the panel corner at a forty five degree angle. The triangularly shaped web of the T-section is reinforced against local buckling with a stiffener plate. The second part consists of a triangular gusset plate which is welded to the beam flange. Two bolts acting in shear connect the gusset plate to the web of the T-section. This way the connection can act in tension or compression. Experimental pull-out tests on individual connections allowed their load deflection characteristics to be established. A full scale experiment was performed on a one-storey one-bay 3 by 3 m infilled frame structure which was horizontally loaded at the top. With the characteristics of the frame-to-panel connections obtained from the experiments on individual connections, finite element analyses were performed on the infilled frame structures taking geometric and material non-linear behaviour of the structural components into account. The finite element model yields reasonably accurate results. This allows the model to be used for further parametric studies.