WUF-W connection performance to box column subjected to uniaxial and biaxial loading

Abstract The prequalified connections presented in AISC are limited to the connections of the I beam to wide flange columns. It is necessary to investigate the seismic performance of the prequalified connections to the box column, which has a very low strength and stiffness panel zone in contrast with the wide flange column. In this study, the seismic behavior of the WUF-W (welded unreinforced flange) connection to the box column was investigated through full-scale cyclic loading tests. The experimental results revealed that this type of connection to the box column can satisfy the prequalified criteria of the special moment frame. Moreover, the main advantage of using box column is its high biaxial bending strength. Therefore, as part of the analytical study, the connection subjected to biaxial loading for a series of parameters was investigated. The analytical investigation showed that in order to achieve the desired performance under biaxial loading, the panel zone must provide the strong column/weak beam ratio of more than what is suggested by AISC. Furthermore, the analytical study revealed that for the box column under biaxial loading, the inner diaphragm may not be suitable because of the potential for the weld to fracture.

[1]  James M. Ricles,et al.  INELASTIC CYCLIC TESTING OF WELDED UNREINFORCED MOMENT CONNECTIONS , 2002 .

[2]  W. J. Hall,et al.  Recommended Seismic Design Criteria for New Steel Moment-Frame Buildings , 2001 .

[3]  Gregory J. Hancock,et al.  FE Modeling of Four-Bolt, Tubular Moment End-Plate Connections , 2000 .

[4]  Chung-Che Chou,et al.  Performance evaluation of steel reduced flange plate moment connections , 2007 .

[5]  Kyung-Jae Shin,et al.  Hysteresis behavior of CFT column to H-beam connections with external T-stiffeners and penetrated elements , 2001 .

[6]  Young-Suk Oh,et al.  Behavior of welded CFT column to H-beam connections with external stiffeners , 2004 .

[7]  Masayoshi Nakashima,et al.  Steel moment frames for earthquakes in United States and Japan , 2000 .

[8]  Y. Kurobane.  Connections in tubular structures , 2002 .

[9]  L. C. Ting,et al.  Design of I-beam to box-column connections stiffened externally , 1993 .

[10]  Mehdi Ghassemieh,et al.  Seismic performance of ductile welded connections using T-stiffener , 2009 .

[11]  S. C. Yang,et al.  Experimental Studies of Wide Flange Beam to Square Concrete-Filled Tube Column Joints with Stiffening Plates Around the Column , 2005 .

[12]  J. Hancock,et al.  On the mechanisms of ductile failure in high-strength steels subjected to multi-axial stress-states , 1976 .

[13]  Cheng-Chih Chen,et al.  Ductile moment connections used in steel column-tree moment-resisting frames , 2006 .

[14]  Sang-Hoon Oh,et al.  Effect of the moment transfer efficiency of a beam web on deformation capacity at box column-to-H beam connections , 2007 .

[15]  Kyung-Jae Shin,et al.  Seismic behaviour of composite concrete-filled tube column-to-beam moment connections , 2008 .

[16]  Charles W. Roeder,et al.  General Issues Influencing Connection Performance , 2002 .

[17]  Cheng-Chih Chen,et al.  Evaluation of reinforced connections between steel beams and box columns , 2004 .

[18]  Ronald O. Hamburger,et al.  Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications, ANSI/AISC 358-05 , 2006 .