Failure Analysis of Welded Steel Moment-Resisting Frame Connections
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 14, Issue 1
Abstract
Full-scale welded steel moment-resisting frame (WSMF) connections have been tested to failure at the University of Michigan and at Lehigh University. The tests were conducted at ambient temperature and under a simulated seismic loading protocol developed by the SAC Joint Venture, to determine if newly detailed unreinforced fully restrained post-Northridge connections can behave satisfactorily in future earthquakes. This paper presents a failure analysis of 16 full-scale WSMF connections. The effects of weld-access hole geometry and the roughness of its flame-cut surface are analyzed. The analysis describes the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks at intersections of the weld access hole with the beam flange and from the flame-cut surface of the weld access hole in the WSMF connections. The paper suggests changes to the weld access hole, and the surface roughness for the flame-cut surface of the weld access hole, which would improve the performance of unreinforced post-Northridge WSMF connections subjected to seismic loads.
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References
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 14 • Issue 1 • February 2002
Pages: 24 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 11, 2000
Accepted: May 30, 2001
Published online: Feb 1, 2002
Published in print: Feb 2002
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