• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.325-334
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• 2010

In this study, an unbraced five-story steel-framed structure was designed in accordance with KBC2005 to understand the features of structural behavior for the arrangement of semi-rigid connections. A pushover analysis of the structural models was performed, wherein all the connections were idealized as fully rigid and semi-rigid. Additionally, horizontal and vertical arrangements of the semi-rigid connection were adopted for the models. A fiber model was utilized for the moment-curvature relationship of the steel beam and the column, and a three-parameter power model was adopted for the moment-rotation angle of the semi-rigid connection. The top displacement, base-shear force, required ductility for the connection, sequence of the plastic hinge, and design factors such as the overstrength factor, ductility factor, and response modification coefficient were investigated using the pushover analysis of a 2D structure subjected to the equivalent static lateral force of KBC2005. The partial arrangement of the semi-rigid connection was found to have secured higher strength and lateral stiffness than that of the A-Semi frame, and greater ductility than the A-Rigid frame. The TSD connection was found suitable for use for economy and safety in the sample structure.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.309-318
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• 2018

Buckling Restrained Braced (BRB) frames have been widely used as an efficient seismic load resisting system in recent years mostly due to their symmetric and stable hysteretic behavior and significant energy dissipation capacity. In this study, to provide a better understanding of the behavior of BRB frames with various beam-column connections, a numerical study using non-linear finite element (FE) analysis is conducted. All models are implemented in the Abaqus software package following an explicit formulation. Initially, the results of the FE model are verified with experimental data. Then, diverse beam-column connections are modeled for the sake of comparison from the shear capacity, energy dissipation and frame hysteresis behavior points of view until appropriate performance is assessed. The considered connections are divided into three different categories: (1) simple beam-column connections including connection by web angle and connection by seat angle; (2) semi-rigid connection including connection by web and seat angles; and (3) rigid beam-column connections by upper-lower beam plates and beam connections with web and flange splices. Results of the non-linear FE analyses show that these types of beam-column connections have little effect on the maximum story drift and shear capacity of BRB frames. However, the connection type has a significant effect on the amount of energy dissipation and hysteresis behavior of BRB frames. Also, changes in length and thickness of the angles in simple and semi-rigid connections and changes in length and thickness of plates in rigid connections have slight effects (less than 4%) on the overall frame behavior.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.53-69
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• 2023

The rotational stiffness of a semi-rigid beam-to-column connection plays an important role in the reduction of the second-order effects in the precast concrete skeletal frames. The aim of this study is to present a detailed nonlinear finite element study to reproduce the experimental response of a semi-rigid precast beam-to-column connection composed by corbel, dowel bar and continuity tie bars available in the literature. A parametric study was carried using four arrangements of the reinforcing tie bars in the connection, including high ratio of the continuity tie bars passing around the column in the cast-in-place concrete. The results from the parametric study were compared to analytical equations proposed to evaluate the secant rotational stiffness of beam-to-column connections. The good agreement with the experimental results was obtained, demonstrating that the finite element model can accurately predict the structural behaviour of the beam-to-column connection despite its complex geometric configuration. The secant rotational stiffness of the connection was good evaluated by the analytical model available in the literature for ratio of the continuity tie bars of up to 0.69%. Precast beam-to-column connection with a ratio of the continuity tie bars higher than 1.4% had the secant stiffness overestimated. Therefore, an adjustment coefficient for the effective depth of the crack at the end of the beam was proposed for the analytical model, which is a function of the ratio of the continuity tie bars.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.343-358
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• 2008

Piles of a bridge pier are connected with a column through a pile cap(footing). Behavior of the pile foundation can be different according to the connection method between piles and the pile cap. This difference causes a change of the design method. Connection methods between pile heads and the pile cap are divided into two groups ; rigid connections and hinge connections. KHBDC(Korea Highway Bridge Design Code) has specified to use rigid connection method for the highway bridge. In the rigid connection method, maximum bending moment of a pile occurs at the pile head and this helps the pile to prevent the excessive displacement. Rigid methods are also good to improve the seismic performance. However some specifications prescribe that conservative results through investigations for both the fixed-head condition and the free-head condition should be reflected in the design. This statement may induce an over-estimated design for the bridge which have very good quality structures with casing covered drilled shafts and the PC-house contained pile cap. Because the assumption of free-head conditions (hinge connections) are unreal for the elevated pile cap system with multiple piles of the long span sea-crossing bridges. On the other hand, elastic displacement method to evaluate the pile reactions under the pile cap is not suitable for this type of bridges due to impractical assumptions. So, full modeling techniques which analyze the superstructure and the substructure simultaneously should be performed. Loads and stress state of the very large diameter drilled shaft and the pile cap for Incheon Bridge which will the longest bridge in Korea were investigated through the full modeling for rigid connection conditions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.513-529
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• 2006

This paper deals with the dynamic behaviour of cold-formed steel hollow frames with different connection stiffnesses. An analytical model of a semi-rigid frame was developed to study the influence of connection stiffnesses on the fundamental frequency and dynamic response of the frames. The flexibilities of the connections are modeled by rotational springs. Neglect of semi-rigidity leads to an artificial stiffening of frames resulting in shorter fundamental period, which in turn results in a significant error in the evaluation of dynamic loads. In the seismic design of structures, of all the principal modes, the fundamental mode of translational vibration is the most critical. Hence, experiments were conducted to study the influence of the connection stiffnesses on the fundamental mode of translational vibration of the steel hollow frames. From the experimental study it was found that the fundamental frequency of the frames lie in the semi-rigid region. From the theoretical investigation it was found that the flexibly connected frames subjected to lateral loads exhibit larger deflection as compared to rigidly connected frames.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.72-82
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• 2000

Attempts were made to analyze the behavior of single and multiple-bolted connections through theoretical methods such as European yield theory, empirical approaching method, and semi-rigid theory instead of many experimental methods that have been actually inefficient and non-economical. In the case of a single-bolted connection, if accurate characteristic values of a material could be guaranteed, it would be more convenient and economical to perform the behavior analysis using a model based on the semi-rigid theory, instead of the existing complex yield model, or the empirical formula which produces errors, giving different results from the actual ones. If the variables of equation determining the load and deformation could be appropriately controlled, the analytical method in conjunction with a semi-rigid theory could be effectively applied to obtain the desirably predicted value, considering that the appropriate solution could be derived through a simpler equation using a less difficult method compared to the existing yield model. It is concluded that analytical method with semi-rigid theory can be used in the behavior analysis of bolted connection because our developed method showed excellent analysis ability of behavior until number of bolt is two. Although our analytical method has the disadvantage that the number of bolt is limited to two, it is concluded that it has the advantage than numerical method which complicated and time-consuming.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.503-513
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• 2007

The seismic responses of a building are affected by the connection characteristics that have effects on structural stiffness. In this study, push-over analysis and time history analysis were performed to estimate structural behavior of 2D eight-story unbraced steel structures with partially restrained composite connections using a nonlinear dynamic analysis program. Nonlinear $M-{\theta}$characteristics of connection and material inelastic characteristics of composite beam and steel column were considered. The idealization of composite semi-rigid connection as fully rigid connection yielded an increase in initial stiffness and ultimate strength in the push-over analysis. In time history analysis, the stiffness and hysteretic behavior of connections have effects on base-shear force, maximum story-drift and maximum moment in beams and columns. For seismic waves with PGA of 0.4 g, the structure with the semi-rigid composite connections shows the maximum story-drift with less than the life safety criteria by FEMA 273 and no inelastic behavior of beam and column, whereas in the structure with rigid connections, beams and columns have experienced inelastic behaviors.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.617-628
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• 2019

As an extremely destructive accident, progressive collapse is defined as the spread of an initial local failure from element to element, resulting eventually in the collapse of an entire structure or disproportionately large of it. To prevent the occurrence of it and evaluate the ability of structure resisting progressive collapse, the nonlinear static procedure is usually adopted in the whole structure design process, which considered dynamic effect by utilizing Dynamic Increase Factor (DIF). In current researches, the determining of DIF is performed in full-rigid frame, however, the performance of beam-column connection in the majority of existing frame structures is not full-rigid. In this study, based on the component method proposed by EC3 guideline, the expression of extended endplate connection performance is further derived, and the connection performance is taken into consideration when evaluated the performance of structure resisting progressive collapse by applying the revised plastic P-M hinge. The DIF for structures with extended endplate beam-column connection have been determined and compared with the DIF permitted in current GSA guideline, the necessity of considering connection stiffness in determining the DIF have been proved.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.805-813
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• 2006

The objective of this study is to ascertain the applicability of T-stub connection for rigid connections. Tests and analysis are focused on the initial stiffness and their results are compared with the case of general rigid connections. Influential factors are investigated from the analysis results.