The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Ultimate behavior of butt welded splices in heavy rolled steel sections

Bruneau, Michel; Mahin, Stephen A.; Popov, Egor P.

UCB/EERC-87/10, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1987-09-01, 131 pages (515/B78/1988)

Full and partial penetration butt-welded splices of AISC (American Inst. of Steel Construction) Group 4 and 5 heavy rolled sections were tested. Test specimens were devised so that the splices were located in regions of pure bending. The partial penetration splice was able to develop and exceed its nominal capacity. However, it failed in a brittle manner with no apparent ductility. Qualitative explanations are given as to the cause of the observed failure. Implications of these results for members located in seismic-resistant structures are discussed. The splice with full penetration welds exhibited satisfactory strength and ductility. Future research needs are examined.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-87-10.pdf (7 MB)