Initial rotational stiffness of minor-axis flush end-plate connections

Abstract

The semi-rigid performance of minor-axis connections is important in the study of overall framework. Experiments were conducted on minor-axis flush end-plate connections under a monotonic load. Numerical simulations were carried out using the finite-element package ABAQUS and compared with the experimental results. The initial rotational stiffness of the connection was calculated using the equivalent T-stub in tension and EC3 component method, and the calculated veracity is discussed. The results show that under the action of a negative bending moment, the failure modes of the minor-axis flush end-plate connection are the out-of-plane bending deformation of the end-plate, local buckling of the bottom flange of the beam, and bending deformation of the bolts. The minor-axis flush end-plate connection is a typical semi-rigid connection. However, the deformations of the flush end-plate could not be accurately calculated using the equivalent T-stub in the tension of EC3 methods. The initial rotational stiffness calculated using the method was much larger than that obtained using the experiment and finite-element analysis. The equivalent simulation is not appropriate if the out-of-plane bending stiffness of the flush end-plate is not obtained accurately.