Abstract
Delay in construction schedules has raised concerns regarding the quality of field weld connections. To address this issue, the effects of field weld quality are evaluated using test data and literature review. The evaluation provides evidence supporting the assumption that for the marginal workmanship quality, the strength of steel connections can reduce by approximately 5%. The effects are then used to predict the service life of 9-story and 20-story steel buildings with pre-Northridge connections. The prediction adopts a seismic risk-based framework, and considers the uncertainties of steel material and workmanship quality. The example buildings are highly vulnerable to earthquake damage owing to their lack of connection ductility. That also amplifies the effects of poor field weld quality. The result indicates that in the case of marginal quality workmanship, the service life can be reduced by 20 years, with taller buildings more significantly affected.
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