Seismic performance of bolted double-web T-stub connections with T-shaped steel column

Abstract

Bolted connections are convenient for construction, but traditional bolted end-plate joints require gaps for construction, which may cause construction difficulties and installation stress. Bolted T-stub joints could avoid the installation stress, but use more bolts. Improving the traditional bolted T-stub joints, a bolted beam-to-column joint configuration using double-web T-stubs and pallets, with less bolts required, was proposed. Cyclic tests and finite element analysis were conducted to analyze the effect of stiffeners, the column web thickness, the end plate thickness of T-stubs and L-stubs, and the beam flange bolt quantity on the performances of the novel joint, e. g. the deformation characteristics, the hysteresis curve, the skeleton curve, the slipping resistance, the yield resistance, the ultimate resistance, the ductility and the rotational capacity. According to the results, the joint could be designed as rigid under small earthquakes or wind loads, and may dissipate the energy mainly through slipping under moderate and large earthquakes to reduce the plastic deformation demand of the beams. Stiffeners of the double-web T-stubs and pallets can increase the joint stiffness and energy dissipation capacity, and more bolts on the beam flanges can increase the joint energy dissipation capacity and resistance. Formulas to calculate the slipping resistance, the yield resistance and the ultimate resistance are derived, providing results are in good agreements with the experimental and finite element results.