Abstract
A short-term research and testing program is conducted in response to damage observed at a large number of welded steel moment connections following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. The test program investigated several changes to joint welding and design procedures intended to improve earthquake response of steel moment frame connections. Sixteen very large scale beam-to-column connections are tested under cyclic load. The most successful connections tested in this program are those in which the beam flanges are reinforced with cover plates or vertical ribs. The test results showed that reinforcing the connection to reduce stress at the beam flange groove welds, combined with reasonable care in welding can significantly enhance joint performance. The results of this test program suggest that improved welding workmanship, by itself, may not be adequate to assure satisfactory performance of the conventional welded flange-bolted web connection detail under inelastic cyclic loading. The results also indicate that a large improvement in cyclic loading performance is possible at steel moment flame joints by the use of a reinforced connection combined with careful attention to welding.
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