• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.183-196
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• 2022

Reduced beam section (RBS) moment connections used in special moment resisting frames are currently limited to beam sections that are not larger than nominal depths of 920 mm, weight of 447 kg/m and flange thickness of 44 mm. Due to the higher demand for structural components with jumbo sections, which can potentially be applied in the transfer girders in long-span building structures, the newly available steel heavy members are promising. To address this issue, advanced numerical models are developed to fully evaluate the distribution of stresses and concentrations of plastic strains for such jumbo RBS connections. This paper first presents a brief overview of an experimental study on four specimens with large beam and column sections. Then, a numerical model that includes initial imperfections, residual stresses, geometric nonlinearity, and explicitly modeled welds is presented. The model is used to further explore the behavior of the test specimens, including distribution of stresses, distribution of plastic strains, stress triaxiality and potential for fracture. The results reveal that the stresses are highly non-uniform across the beam flange and, similarly, the plastic strains concentrate at the extreme fiber of the bottom flange. However, neither of these phenomena, which are primarily a function of beam flange thickness, is reflected in current design procedures.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 2000

In simply supported composite beams, the neutral axis of the composite cross section usually is located the top flange of the steel I-shape, so that the top flange does not impart much strength to the member. This suggests that omitting the top flange entirely could be a means to lower the cost of the beam without greatly reducing the strength. The purpose of this investigation is to research flexural strength and behavior of the composite beams with reduced top flange of steel. Five specimens with H and inverted T steel section were tested. As the test results, comparison of the experimental to computed full-plastic moment, and variations of flexural strength with reduced top flange were analyzed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.421-433
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• 2017

Experimental and numerical studies of a newly developed Reduced Beam Section (RBS) connection, called Tubular Web RBS connection (TW-RBS) have been recently conducted. This paper presents experimental and numerical results of extending the plastic hinge length on the beam flange to increase energy dissipation of a proposed version of the TW-RBS connection with two pipes, (TW-RBS(II)), made by replacing a part of flat web with two steel tubular web at the desirable location of the beam plastic hinge. Two deep-beam specimens with two pipes are prepared and tested under cyclic loads. Obtained results reveal that the TW-RBS(II) like its type I, increases story drift capacity up to 6% in deep beam much more than that stipulated by the current seismic codes. Based on test results, the proposed TW-RBS(II) helps to dissipate imposed energy up to 30% more than that of the TW-RBS(I) specimens at the same story drift and also reduces demands at the beam-to-column connection up to 30% by increasing plastic hinge length on the beam flange. The TW-RBS(II) specimens are finally simulated using finite element method showing good agreement with experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.571-583
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• 2017

A kind of accordion-web RBS connection, "Tubular Web RBS (TW-RBS)" connection is proposed in this research. TW-RBS is made by replacing a part of web with a tube at the desirable location of the beam plastic hinge. This paper presents first a numerical study under cyclic load using ABAQUS finite element software. A test specimen is used for calibration and comparison of numerical results. Obtained results indicated that TW-RBS would reduce contribution of the beam web to the whole moment strength and creates a ductile fuse far from components of the beam-to-column connection. Besides, TW-RBS connection can increase story drift capacity up to 9% in the case of shallow beams which is much more than those stipulated by the current seismic codes. Furthermore, the tubular web like corrugated sheet can improve both the out-of-plane stiffness of the beam longitudinal axis and the flange stability condition due to the smaller width to thickness ratio of the beam flange in the plastic hinge region. Thus, the tubular web in the plastic hinge region improves lateral-torsional buckling stability of the beam as just local buckling of the beam flange at the center of the reduced section was observed during the tests. Also change of direction of strain in arc shape of the tubular web section is smaller than the accordion webs with sharp corners therefore the tubular web provides a better condition in terms of low-cycle fatigue than other accordion web with sharp corners.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.503-510
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• 2004

One of the methods improving the seismic behavior of a structure is the frame with reduced beam section (RBS) which cuts a segment of flanges of the beam near the beam-to-column connection so that the section with reduced flanges has smaller flexural strength than the beam end. It is difficult to analyze the RBS frame because RBS portion has circular-cut type flange. And inelastic response of the steel frame with the RBS is very sensitive to the RBS model. In this paper, the analytical models of RBS portion are investigated and the results of the inelastic analysis for RBS analytical models are compared and then the analytical model for RBS is determined based on the results of inelastic analysis. Inelastic behavior of the RBS frame and its dynamic characteristics are investigated for selected analytical model of RBS.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.03a
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• pp.306-316
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• 2002

This paper summarizes the results of full-scale cyclic seismic testing on four RBS (reduced beam section) steel moment connections. Key test variables were web bolting vs. welding and strong vs. medium PZ (panel zone) strength. The specimen with medium PZ strength was specially designed to mobilize energy dissipation from both the PZ and RBS region in a balanced way; the aim was to reduce the requirement of expensive doubler plates. Both strong and medium PZ specimens with web-welding were able to provide sufficient connection rotation capacity required of special moment frames, whereas specimens with web-bolting showed inferior performance due to the premature brittle fracture of the beam flange across the weld access hole. In contrast to the case of web-welded specimens, the web-bolted specimens could not transfer the actual plastic moment of the original (or unreduced) beam section to the column. If a quality welding for the beam-to-column joint is made as in this study, the fracture-prone area tends to move into the beam flange base metal within the weld access hole. Analytical study was also conducted to understand the observed base metal fracture from the engineering mechanics point of view.

• 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.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.437-450
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• 2022

When the vertical load-bearing members in high-rise structures fail locally, the beam-column joints play an important role in the redistribution of the internal forces. In this paper, a static laboratory test of three full-scale flush flange beam-reinforced connections with side and cover plates (CP-FBSP connection) with double half-span steel beams and single L-shaped columns composed of concrete-filled steel tubes (L-CFST columns) was conducted. The influence of the side plate width and cover plate thickness on the progressive collapse resistance of the substructure was thoroughly analyzed. The failure mode, vertical force-displacement curves, strain variation, reaction force of the pin support and development of internal force in the section with the assumed plastic hinge were discussed. Then, through the verified finite element model, the corresponding analyses of the thickness and length of the side plates, the connecting length between the steel beam flange and cover plate, and the vertical-force eccentricity were carried out. The results show that the failure of all the specimens occurred through the cracking of the beam flange or the cover plate, and the beam chord rotations measured by the test were all greater than 0.085 rad. Increasing the length, thickness and width of the side plates slightly reduced the progressive collapse resistance of the substructures. The vertical-force eccentricity along the beam length reduced the progressive collapse resistance of the substructure. An increase in the connecting length between the beam flange and cover plate can significantly improve the progressive collapse resistance of substructures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.863-875
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• 2020

After medium or strong earthquakes, damage in the reduced portion of RBS connections occurs due to plastic deformations. The purpose of this paper is to numerically and experimentally investigate the reduced depth section connection as a replaceable fuse. In this regard, three commonly used rigid connections with RBS, a replaceable fuse with RBS, and a replaceable fuse with Reduced Depth Section (RDS-F) were evaluated. All specimens were subjected to quasi-static cyclic load until failure. Although the final strength of the RDS-F is lower than that of the other two, laboratory results showed that it had the maximum ductility among the three samples. The numerical models of all three laboratory samples were constructed in ABAQUS, and the results were verified with great accuracy. The results of more than 28 numerical analyses showed that the RDS-F sample is more ductile than the other specimens. Moreover, the thickness of the web and the plastic section modulus increasing, the final strength would be equal to the other specimens. Therefore, the modified RDS-F with replaceability after an earthquake can be a better alternative for RBS connections.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.785-808
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• 2016

An innovative Reduced Beam Section (RBS) connection, called Tubular Web RBS connection (TW-RBS), has been recently introduced and its performance has been numerically investigated in some earlier studies. The TW-RBS connection is a kind of accordion-web RBS connection in which part of the flat web of the beam is replaced by a steel tube at the expected region of the plastic hinge. This paper presents experimental results of three TW-RBS connections under cyclic loading. Obtained results indicated that TW-RBS reduces contribution of the beam web to the whole moment strength and creates a ductile fuse far from components of the beam-to-column connection. Besides, TW-RBS connection can increase story drift capacity up to 9% in the case of shallow beams which is much more than those stipulated by the current seismic codes. Based on the experimental results, the tubular web in the plastic hinge region improves lateral-torsional buckling stability of the beam such that only local buckling of the beam flange at the center of the reduced section was observed during the tests. In order to achieve a better understanding, behavior of all TW-RBS specimens are also numerically investigated and compared with those of experimental results.