Response characteristics of flush end-plate connections

Abstract

Flush end-plate (FEP) connections are one of the most popular bolted steel connections in construction practice. These connections possess a semi-rigid moment-rotation behavior that betwixt that of rigid and pinned connections. Nonetheless, they are commonly idealized as pinned connections in design and numerical simulations. This paper investigates the flexibility, strength and ductility of such connections in a holistic manner, based on a recently compiled comprehensive database of more than 420 specimens that were tested within the past 50 years. The paper describes the systematic methodology used to deduce response parameters from the moment-rotation curves. This includes deduction of the elastic, post-yield stiffnesses, the effective yield and maximum moments as well as the ultimate rotation at failure. The deduced parameters are made publically available to support further analysis by other researchers. The median value of each parameter and associated variability are quantified with respect to different connection topologies and loading histories. The data are then used to assess the connection classification and performance in terms of flexibility, strength and ductility based on existing standards.