Local Flange Bending and Continuity Plate Requirements in Double-Web H-Shaped Columns

Abstract

In steel moment frames, columns are subjected to unbalance moment that is transmitted into the joint through a couple of concentrated forces at the centroid of the beam’s flanges. If the flexural capacity of the column flange is less than produced moment by these tensile or compressive forces, use of continuity plates in the panel zone is necessary. Since in box-shaped column, welding the forth edge of a continuity plate to the column flange may not be easily done and is usually accompanied by remarkable difficulties, double-web H-shaped columns as an appropriate alternative, which often do not require continuity plates, can be used. Numerous studies are carried out on local flange bending in H–shaped columns and are referred in the valid guidelines. The behavior of double-web column’s flange is between box shaped and H-shaped column’s flange. This paper presents analytical and numerical modeling of double web column to estimate local flange bending. The numerical modeling is derived from the results of finite element analyses. Based on these two approaches, some equations are presented to estimate local flange bending of double web columns, and are shown their efficiency and accuracy.