Safety considerations of annex j of eurocode 3

Abstract

The new Annex J of ENV 1993 -Eurocode 3 presents rules for the design of joints both for stiffness and strength. Due to the different components and materials of which a joint may exist, the safety assessment of structural joints is complex. This chapter provides considerations of the influence of unexpected over strength on the ductility and safety of joints. For seismic loading a method is suggested, which allows an extension of plastic design to joints with alternating rotations. Furthermore, the ULS-design of a steel structure consisting of elements and joints may be performed with two options. The first option is the consideration of the whole true moment-rotation characteristic of the joints. The second option is the use of a standardized model, which describes the moment rotation behavior of a joint in a simplified way: the initial stiffness, the transition from the elastic part to the plastic part of the curve and the ultimate resistance level without an a priori limitation of the rotation.