Abstract
Abstract Semi-rigid connections of the type studied in this investigation are distinguished by moment-rotation curves which become non-linear relatively early during static loading. However, the connections exhibited linear unloading behavior, a linearity that was retained as moment was reapplied, to a maximum approaching that imposed during the initial load application. The slope of this latter curve was found to be essentially the same as the initial slope of the moment-rotation curve during first loading. Thus, the initial slope is of direct significance from a design viewpoint, in that it can be used to represent the stiffness of the connection in the analysis of the complete structural system, particularly under live load fluctuations. In this paper, an analytical procedure is developed to predict the initial stiffness of a particular type of semi-rigid connection; the predicted slopes were found to compare favorably with experimentally determined connection behavior.
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