• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.291-306
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• 2006

In order to improve the constructability and meanwhile ensure excellent seismic behavior, several innovative composite connection details were conceived and studied by the authors. This paper reports experimental results and observations on seismic behavior of steel beam bolted to reinforced concrete column connections (bolted RCS or BRCS). The proposed composite connection details involve post tensioning the end plates of the steel beams to the reinforced concrete or precast concrete columns using high-strength steel rods. A rational design procedure was proposed to assure a ductile behavior of the composite structure. Strut-and-tie model analysis indicates that a bolted composite connection has a favorable stress transfer mechanism. The excellent capacity and behavior were then validated through five full-scale beam to column connection model tests.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.263-276
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• 2007

Steel frame structures have been widely used in multi-storey and high-rise buildings and the connections in these structures are critical. In the Northridge and Kobe Earthquake, beam-column connections suffered damage due to brittle fracture. According to seismic design codes, ductility of the beam to column connection is also necessary. A study on the behavior of a beam to column connection with the aim of improving ductility as well as preventing brittle failure was carried out. In order to control the position of a plastic hinge on the beam, a connection with a hole in the beam web was developed. Five specimens with different parameters under cyclic load were assessed. The results are presented in terms of the stress distribution of the beam, hysteretic behavior, and ultimate capacity. Furthermore, the finite element method was also used to analyze the model, and the results were compared with those obtained from the experiment. It is shown from the analysis and experimental results that this type of connection is effective in terms of improving ductility for a beam to column connection in low-rise buildings.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.16 no.5 s.72
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• pp.695-703
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• 2004

In this paper, the results of monotonic loading analysis with four steel models and one composite model were shown. The effect that moment transfer efficiency of a web and strain concentration at a steel beam-to-column connections was investigated. Analysis results showed that the moment transfer efficiency of the analytical model with box-column was poor when comparing to model with H-column due to out-of-plane deformation of the box-column flange. The presence of scallop, thin plate of box column and floor slabs was also a reason of the decrease of moment transfer efficiency, which would result in a potential fracture of the steel beam-to-column connections. Analytical results were compared with experimental results based on previous test. As a result, the deformation capacity of connections with a box-column or a floor slab decreased due to the poor moment transfer efficiency and the strain concentration of beam flange in the vicinity of the steel beam-to-column connections based on the experimental data.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.195-211
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• 2014

When strong seismic forces act on reinforced concrete structures, their beam-column connections are very susceptible to damage during the earthquake event. The aim of this numerical work is to evaluate the influence of the internal steel reinforcement array on the nonlinear response of a RC beam-column connection when it is subjected to strong cyclic loading -as a seismic load. For this, two specimens (extracted from an experimental test of 12 RC beam-column connections reported in literature) were modeled in the Finite Element code FEAP considering different stirrup's arrays. In order to evaluate the nonlinear response of the RC beam-column connection, the 2D model takes into account the nonlinear thermodynamic behavior of each component: for concrete, a damage model is used; for steel reinforcement, it is adopted a classical plasticity model; in the case of the steel-concrete bonding, this one is considered perfect without degradation. At the end, we show a comparison between the experimental test's responses and the numerical results, which includes the distribution of shear stresses and damage inside the concrete core of the beam-column connection; in the other hand, the effects on the connection of a low and high state of confinement are analyzed for all cases.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.575-578
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• 1999

The main objective of this study was to examine structural behavior of reinforced concrete column and steel beam joint. composite specimens about 3/4 of the actual beam column connection assembly were tested by applying cyclic load through actuators. Test variables include face bearing plate(FBP), extended face bearing plate(E-FBP), VIR, U-bar and sub beam. There is not much differenced between specimens with sub beam and without sub beam. Test results also show that the joint strength of test specimen is close to the predicted strength by ASCE guideline.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.687-704
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• 2014

A great number of moment-resisting steel structures collapsed due to ductile crack initiation at welded beam-column connections, followed by explosive brittle fracture in the Kobe (Hyogoken-Nanbu) earthquake in 1995. A series of experimental and numerical studies on cracking behaviors of beam-column connections in steel bridge piers were carried out by the authors' team. This paper aims to study the effect of post weld treatment on cracking behaviors of the connections during a strong earthquake event. Experiments of three specimens with different weld finishes, i.e., as-welded, R-finish, and burr grinding, were conducted. The experimental results indicate that the instants of ductile crack initiation are greatly delayed for the specimens with R-finish and burr grinding finishes compared with the as-welded one. The strain concentration effect in the connection is also greatly reduced in the specimens with post weld treatment compared with the as-welded one, which was also verified in the tests.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.471-482
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• 2018

The composite reinforced concrete and steel (RCS) structural systems have larger structural lateral stiffness, higher inherent structural damping, and faster construction speed than either traditional reinforcement concrete or steel structures. In this paper, four RCS subassemblies with or without the RC slab designed following a strong column-weak beam philosophy were constructed and tested under reversed-cyclic loading. Parameters including the width of slab and composite effect of the RC slab and beam were explored. The test results showed that all specimens performed in a ductile manner with plastic hinges formed in the beam ends near the column faces. The seismic responses of composite connections are influenced significantly by different width of slabs. Compared with that of the steel beam without the RC slab, it was found that the load carrying capacity of composite connections with the RC slab increased by 30% on average, and strength degradation, energy dissipation also had better performance, while the ductility of that were almost the same. Furthermore, the contribution of connection deformation to the overall specimen displacement was analyzed and compared. It decreased approximately 10% due to the coupling effect in the columns and beams with the RC slab. Based on the test result, some suggestions are presented for the design of composite RCS joints.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1998.04a
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• pp.110-116
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• 1998

The three-dimensional nonlinear analysis on the partial tension experiment of Beam-Column connections in hybrid connections with RC columns and S beams is simulated. In this paper, mechanical characteristics between steel plates and concrete is investigated. Also the stress transfer mechanism prior to beam-column connection analysis was considered by using joint element.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.83-98
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• 2018

This research was conducted to study the behavior of exterior concrete beam-column joints with reinforced shape memory alloy (SMA) bars tested under cyclic loading. These bars benefit from superelastic behavior and can stand high loads without residual strains. The experimental part of the study, 8 specimens of exterior concrete beam-column joints were made and tested. Two different types of concrete with 30 and 45 MPa were used. Four specimens contained SMA bars and 4 specimens contained steel bars in beam-column joints. Furthermore, different transverse reinforcements were used in beams investigate the effects of concrete confinement. Specimens were tested under cyclic loading. Results show that SMA bars are capable of recentering to their original shape after standing large displacements. Due to the superelastic behavior of SMA bars, cracks at the joint core vanish under cyclic loading. As the cyclic loading increased, bending failure occurred in the beam outside the joint core. In the analytical parts of the study, specimens were simulated using the SeismoStruct software. Experimental and analytical results showed a satisfactory correlation. Plastic hinge length at the beam joint for specimens with SMA and steel bars was calculated by empirical equations, experimental and analytical results. It was shown that Paulay's and Priestley's equations are appropriate for concrete beam-column joints in both types of bars.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.147-160
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• 2002

This paper summarises results of the research performed at the Department of Steel Structures and Structural Mechanics from the "Politehnica" University of Timisoara, Romania, in order to evaluate the performance of beam-to-column extended end plate connections for steel and composite joints. It comprises laboratory tests on steel and composite joints, and numerical modelling of joints, based on tests. Tested joints are double-sided, with structural elements realised of welded steel sections. The columns are of cruciform cross-section, while the beams are of I section. Both monotonic and cyclic loading, symmetrically and antisymmetrically, has been applied. On the basis of tested joints, a refined computer model has been calibrated using a special connection element of the computer code DRAIN 2DX. In this way, a static/dynamic structural analysis of framed structures with real characteristics of the beam to column joints is possible.