A study of end plate connections for steel beams

End plates welded transversely to the web of the beam and then bolted to the supporting member should provide effective, simple connections to transmit shear. However, under loading, the end of the beam rotates and moments are developed in the connection. It is essential that the end plate connection be sufficiently flexible so that the factored moment can be attained in the beam without the development of excessive moments in the connection itself. Based on the behaviour of T-sections, where the flange of the T simulates the end plate and the stem simulates the web of the beam, both when the stem is loaded in tension and in compression, analytical procedures have been developed to predict the moment–rotation behaviour of end plate connections. Good agreement has been obtained between the predicted nonlinear moment–rotation curves and the experimental curves for eight connections covering a practical range of end plate thicknesses, gage distances between bolt holes, and connection depths. With the propose...