NEW DUCTILE MOMENT-RESISTING CONNECTIONS LIMITING DAMAGE TO SPECIFIC ELEMENTS AT THE BOTTOM FLANGE

After the 1995 Kobe earthquakes, a remarkable number of researches have been conducted on the beam-end connection. Those results have improved welding practices using higher material toughness and geometrical modification in the welded connections. Although the improved connections showed sufficient rotation capacity, little attention has been paid to repairing damage after an earthquake. At the stage of seismic design, it is important to consider restoring structures immediately. The purpose of this study is to propose new ductile MRF connections, which realize not only seismic performance but also easy repairing after an earthquake. In this paper, cyclic loading tests were conducted to evaluate composite effects on new connection detail, and to compare damage to concrete slab with conventional detail. The test results indicated that the plastic rotation capacity of the new connection was hardly affected by the presence of concrete slab, and the new connection was beneficial in reducing damage to concrete slab.