Cyclic testing of flush end-plate semi-rigid steel connections

摘要

There is increasing interest in developing and employing steel beam-to-column connections other than the full-strength heavily-welded type. One such alternative is the flush end-plate connection, for which considerable gravity-design guidance already exists, but is necessarily partial strength. This paper reports the initial results of a series of cyclic tests carried out on flush end-plate connections to determine their suitability for use in earthquake resistant steel moment frames. The test specimens tested consist of a standard size connection in which the thickness of the end-plate is varied. This allows the three failure modes defined in Eurocode 3: Annex J to be examined in relation to their seismic response. Parameters such as ductility, the resistance drop ratio and stiffness hardening characteristics are compared for the different end-plate thicknesses and conclusions are drawn as to the connections' ability to handle seismic response demands.