• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.33-46
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• 1999

In spite of 6.8 magnitude and the neighborhood of the epicenter, the steel moment frame survived after Northridge earthquake without collapse or casualties. However, following investigation revealed that there were severe damages at the column-weld interface of welded flange-bolted web (WFBW) steel moment connection, which was believed to be economic and safe from earthquakes based on experience and past tests. In this paper, this unexpected brittle fracture of the steel moment connection is explored using linear elastic fracture mechanics and post-Northridge tests. A method to predict the brittle fracture strength of the steel moment connection is proposed. Using this method, the failure mode of the WFBW connection and reduced beam section (RBS) connection are presented.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.557-566
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• 2002

This paper summarized the results of a full-scale cyclic seismic testing on four reduced beam section (RBS) steel moment connections. Specifically, these tests addressed a bolted web versus a welded web connection and strong versus medium panel zone (PZ) strength as key test variables. Specimens with medium PZ strength were designed to promote balanced energy dissipation from both PZ and RBS regions, in order to reduce the requirement for expensive doubler plates. Both strong and medium PZ specimens with welded web connection were able to provide sufficient connection rotation capacity required of special moment-resisting frames. On the other hand, specimens with bolted web connection performed poorly due to premature brittle fracture of the beam flange at the weld access hole. Unlike the case of web-welded specimens, specimens with cheaper bolted web connection could not transfer the actual plastic moment of the original (or unreduced) beam section to the column. No fracture occurred within the beam groove welds of any connection in this testing program. If fracture within the beam flange groove weld is avoided by using quality welding procedure as in this study, the fracture issue tends to move into the beam flange base metal at the weld access hole. Supporting analytical study was also conducted in order to understand the observed base metal fracture from the engineering mechanics perspective.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.221-230
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• 2003

Employing classical beam theory for the design of RBS seismic steel moment connections was brought into question in this study, Both the experimental strain data and analytical results from the calibrated finite element analysis confirmed that the shear transfer mechanism in the RBS connection is completely different from that as predicted by classical beam theory Plausible explanations of a higher incidence of brittle fractures observed in the specimens with bolted-webs were presented. It was pointed out that the practice of providing web bolts uniformly along the beam depth is not consistent with the load path identified by both experimental and analytical results. More rational bolted-web details were proposed based on the identified principal load path,.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.337-348
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• 2003

본 연구는 8개의 RBS (reduced beam section) 내진 철골모멘트접합부의 실물대 실험결과를 요약한 것이다. 본 실험의 주요변수는 보 웨브 접합법 및 패널존 강도를 택하였다. 균형 패널존 시험체는 접합부의 내진성능을 감소시키지 않으면서, 보와 패널존이 함께 균형적으로 지진에너지를 소산시키도록 설계하여 값비싼 패널존보강판(doubler plates)의 수요를 줄이고자 시도한 것이다. 보 웨브를 용접한 시험체는 모두 특별 연성모멘트골조에서 요구되는 접합부 회전능력을 충분히 발휘하였다. 반면 보 웨브를 볼트접합한 시험체는 조기에 스캘럽을 가로지르는 취성파단이 발생하는 열등한 성능을 보였다. 보 그루브 용접부 자체의 취성파괴가 본 연구에서와 같이 양질의 용접에 의해 방지되면, 스켈럽 부근의 취성파단이 다음에 해결해야 할 문제로 대두되는 경향을 보인다. 보 웨브를 볼팅한 경우에 접합부 취성파단의 빈도가 월등히 높은 이유를 실험 및 해석결과를 토대로 제시하였다 측정된 변형도 데이터에 의할 때, 접합부의 전단력 전달메카니즘은 흔히 가정하는 고전 휨이론에 의한 예측과 전혀 다르다. 이는 전통적 보 웨브 설계법을 재검토할 필요가 있음을 시사하는 것이다. 아울러, 본 연구의 제한된 실험자료 및 접합부에서 요구되는 바람직한 거동기준을 근거로 균형 패널존의 강도범위에 대한 예비적 추정치를 제시하였다.

• 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.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2020

The top-and-seat angles with double web angles are commonly used in the design of beam-to-column joints in Asian and North American countries. The seismic behavior analysis of these joints with large cross-section size of beam and column (often connected by four or more bolts) is a challenge due to the effects from the relatively larger size of stiffened angles and the composite action from the adjacent concrete slab. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the seismic performance of exterior composite beam-to-column joints with stiffened angles under cyclic loading. Four full-scale composite joints with different configuration (only one specimen contain top angle in concrete slab) were designed and tested. The joint specimens were designed by considering the effects of top angles, longitudinal reinforcement bars and arrangement of bolts. The behavior of the joints was carefully investigated, in terms of the failure modes, slippage, backbone curves, strength degradation, and energy dissipation abilities. It was found that the slippage between top-and-seat angles and beam flange, web angle and beam web led to a notable pinching effect, in addition, the ability of the energy dissipation was significantly reduced. The effect of anchored beams on the behavior of the joints was limited due to premature failure in concrete, the concrete slab that closes to the column flange and upper flange of beam plays an significant role when the joint subjected to the sagging moment. It is demonstrated that the ductility of the joints was significantly improved by the staggered bolts and welded longitudinal reinforcement bars.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.73 no.6
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• pp.613-620
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• 2020

The research study is focuses on a form of all-bolted joint with the external ring stiffening plate in the prefabricated steel structure. The components are bolted at site after being fabricated in the factory. Six specimens were tested under cyclic loading, and the effects of column axial compression ratio, concrete-filled column, beam flange sub plate, beam web angle cleats, and spliced column on the failure mode, hysteretic behavior and ductility of the joints were analyzed. The results shown that the proposed all-bolted joint with external ring stiffening plate performed high bearing capability, stable inflexibility degradation, high ductility and plump hysteretic curve. The primary failure modes were bucking at beam end, cracking at the variable section of the external ring stiffening plate, and finally welds fracturing between external ring stiffening plate and column wall. The bearing capability of the joints reduced with the axial compression ratio increased. The use of concrete-filled steel tube column can increase the bearing capability of joints. The existence of the beam flange sub plate, and beam web angle cleat improves the energy dissipation, ductility, bearing capacity and original rigidity of the joint, but also increase the stress concentration at the variable section of the external reinforcing ring plate. The proposed joints with spliced column also performed desirable integrity, large bearing capacity, initial stiffness and energy dissipation capacity for engineering application by reasonable design.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.141-159
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• 2016

Commonly in steel frames, steel beam and concrete slab are connected together by shear keys to work as a unit member which is called composite beam. When a composite beam is subjected to positive bending, flexural strength and stiffness of the beam can be increased due to "composite action". At the same time despite these advantages, composite action increases the strain at the beam bottom flange and it might affect beam plastic rotation capacity. This paper presents results of study on the rotation capacity of composite beam connected to Rectangular Hollow Section (RHS) column in the steel moment resisting frame buildings. Due to out-of-plane deformation of column flange, moment transfer efficiency of web connection is reduced and this results in reduction of beam plastic rotation capacity. In order to investigate the effects of width-to-thickness ratio (B/t) of RHS column on the rotation capacity of composite beam, cyclic loading tests were conducted on three full scale beam-to-column subassemblies. Detailed study on the different steel beam damages and concrete slab damages are presented. Experimental data showed the importance of this parameter of RHS column on the seismic behavior of composite beams. It is found that occurrence of severe concrete bearing crush at the face of RHS column of specimen with smaller width-to-thickness ratio resulted in considerable reduction on the rate of strain increase in the bottom flange. This behavior resulted in considerable improvement of rotation capacity of this specimen compared with composite and even bare steel beam connected to the RHS column with larger width-to-thickness ratio.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.183-201
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• 2016

Perforated steel beams can be optimised by increased beam depth and the moment of inertia combined with a reduced web thickness, favouring the use of original I-section beams. The designers are often confronted with situations where optimisation cannot be carried out effectively, taking account of the buckling risk at web posts, moment-shear transfers and local plastic deformations on the transverse holes of the openings. The purpose of this study is to suggest solutions for reducing these failure risks of tested optimal designed beams under applying loads in a self-reacting frame. The design method for the beams is the hunting search optimisation technique, and the design constraints are implemented from BS 5950 provisions. Therefore, I have aimed to explore the strengthening effects of reinforced openings with ring stiffeners, welded vertical simple plates on the web posts and horizontal plates around the openings on the ultimate load carrying capacities of optimally designed perforated steel beams. Test results have shown that compared to lateral stiffeners, ring and vertical stiffeners significantly increase the loadcarrying capacity of perforated steel beams.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.445-454
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• 2008

Based on previous research on steel moment connections, experimental and analytical results showed that the deformation capacity was poor in specimens using RHS columns and with conventional weld access holes and strain concentration at the end of beam is influenced by the efficiency in transmitting the moment in the web of beam through the beam-to-column joint. This paper is focused on the retrofitting of pre-Kobe steel moment frame connections using a stiffened RBS and a welded horizontal stiffener. These retrofitting methods were considered only in beam bottom flange. A parametric study was performed using nonlinear finite element analysis to elucidate and improve the retrofit methods of connections.