• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.803-818
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• 2020

Semi-rigid connections with blind bolts could solve the difficulty that traditional high strength bolts were unavailable to splice a steel/composite beam to a closed section column. However, insufficient investigations have focused on the performance of semi-rigid connection to square concrete filled double-skin steel tubular (CFDST) columns. In this paper, a component model was developed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of semi-rigid composite connections to CFDST columns considering the stiffness and strength of column face in compression and column web in shear which were determined by the load transfer mechanism and superstition method. Then, experimental investigations on blind bolted composite joints to square CFDST columns were conducted to validate the accuracy of the component model. Dominant failure modes of the connections were analyzed and this type of joint behaved semi-rigid manner. More importantly, strain responses of CFDST column web and tubes verified that stiffness and strength of column face in compression and column web in shear significantly affected the connection mechanical behavior owing to the hollow part of the cross-section for CFDST column. The experimental and analytical results showed that the CFDST column to steel-concrete composite beam semi-rigid joints could be employed for the assembled structures in high intensity seismic regions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.447-462
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• 2020

The paper aims to investigate the mechanical mechanism and seismic effect of stiffeners in blind bolt endplate connection to CFST column. A precise 3D finite element model with considering the cyclic properties of concrete and steel materials was established, and the efficiency was validated through monotonic and cyclic test data. The deforming pattern and the seismic performance of the unstiffened and stiffened blind bolt endplate connections were investigated. Then a parametric analysis was conducted to analyze the contribution of stiffeners and the joint working behaviors with endplate under cyclic load. The joint stiffness classifications were compared and a supplement stiffness classification method was proposed, and the energy dissipation ability of different class connections were compared and discussed. Results indicated that the main deformation pattern of unstiffened blind bolt endplate connections was the local bending of end plate. The vertical stiffeners can effectively alleviate the local bending deformation of end plate. And influence of stiffeners in thin endplate and thick endplate was different. Based on the stiffness of external diaphragm welded connection, a more detailed rigidity classification was proposed which included the pin, semi-rigid, quasi-rigid and rigid connection. Beam was the main energy dissipation source for rigid connection. For the semi-rigid and quasi-rigid connection, the extended endplate, stiffeners and steel beam would all participate in the energy dissipation.