Abstract
The end plate moment connection (EPMC) has been studied using various design concepts. However, after the Northridge, California earthquake in 1994, low cycle fatigue (LCF) analysis became the focus of investigation for EPMCs because the existing design code could not explain the brittle steel moment frame connection failures that occurred in numerous structures as a result of that earthquake. This paper provides a LCF life estimation procedure using a four-bolt extended unstiffened EPMC. In this research, four full-scale experimental tests are conducted to develop the LCF model and to estimate the LCF life of each connection. The experimental test failure mode is LCF fracture in the end plate. The LCF model is developed from three constant peak displacement cyclic load test results, and results from a fourth (and last) test performed with random cyclic loading. From these test results, the life of the structure is predicted using the LCF model. Finite element model (FEM) analysis and theoretical calculations (verified in the companion paper, Preanalysis of the Low Cycle Fatigue Behavior of a Reduced End Plate Moment Connection (T-stub)[1]) are used to predict the structural behavior. The results show reasonable relationships to each other.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.