Seismic‐resistant steel moment connections: developments since the 1994 Northridge earthquake

Abstract

AbstractSince the 1994 Northridge earthquake, major changes have occurred in US design and construction practice for seismic‐resistant steel moment connections. These changes, motivated by the widespread failure of welded moment‐resisting beam‐to‐column connections in the Northridge earthquake, hold the promise of significantly better connection performance in future strong earthquakes. While the debate and discussion on these connection failures continues, intensive research and testing efforts have led to major advances in diagnosing the causes of the failures, and in developing improved connections. This paper presents a summary of key US developments in seismic‐resistant steel moment connections since the Northridge earthquake. A description of the typical moment connection detail in use prior to the earthquake is provided first, together with a description of damage observed at these connections after the earthquake. This is followed by a discussion of some of the major causes of the failures. Finally, some of the approaches currently being used in the US for the design and construction of improved moment connections are presented.