The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Cyclic loading of full-size steel connections

Popov, Egor P.; Stephen, Roy M.

UCB/EERC-70/03, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1970-07, 54 pages (530/P65/1970)

A series of eight tests of large full-size steel beam-to-column connections subjected to cyclic loading simulating earthquake effects on a building frame have been performed. All beams were made of A36 steel. The connections of the beam-to-column stubs were either of the all-welded type, or of welded flanges and bolted web types. The principal objective of the work was to determine the behavior of these two types of connections under severe cyclic loading well into the inelastic range and to assess the difference in their performance. All connections showed strengths in excess of capacities determined by the simple plastic theory, i.e., without regard to strain hardening. The hysteresis loops in all cases were remarkably stable in shape under repeated loading cycles. All-welded connections showed excellent ductility. The bolted web-welded flange-type connections also responded well, but were less ductile.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-70-03.pdf (10 MB)