Torsional stiffness of some standard shear connections

The lateral stability of a beam is dependent on the torsional stiffness characteristics of the connections at each end of the member. In this paper, results are presented of a series of tests which were conducted to obtain a better understanding of the torsional behaviour of three forms of aisc standard shear connections - the double angle, flexible endplate, and sideplate connections. Values of torsional stiffness were obtained and these are compared with those predicted by existing theoretical models. Recommendations are made concerning the directions of future research on this problem (a).