Fracture Moment Strength of Reduced Beam Section with Bolted Web Connections

Abstract

Reduced Beam Section (RBS) moment connections are developed for Special Moment Resisting Frames (SMRF). According to the beam web attachment the column flange RBS connections are classified into Reduced Beam Section with Bolted web connections (RBS-B), and the Reduced Beam Section with Welded web connections (RBS-W). Beam flanges are welded to the column. Regardless of different web attachment details in RBS-B and RBS-W connections current design procedures (FEMA 350) assumes that they could develop plastic moment of the beam gross section. In current design procedures, RBS-B connections should provide the sufficient strength that can reach the plastic moment capacity of the connected beam. However, some experimental researches reported that the beams in RBS-B connections fractured before the connection reached its plastic moment capacity. Such undesirable fracture shows that RBS-B connections have less strength than RBS-W connections. And if RBS-B connections designed in current design procedures, it might fail in a brittle manner and not satisfy SMRF due to undesirable fracture. Thus, this study develops a new set of equations for accurately computing the moment strength of RBS-B connections. The proposed strength equation accurately predicts connection moment capacity for RBS-B connections.