EFFECT OF END RESTRAINT ON COLUMN STRENGTH - PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.

Abstract

A design procedure has been developed for columns in sway-prevented frames, whereby the influence of connection end restraint can be taken into account explicitly. The method that is developed takes into account the combined restraining effect of the connection and the beam to which it is attached, recognizing that the beam flexibility tends to reduce the full restraint effect of the connection. The design procedure is extended to a frame stability analysis, redefining the stiffness distribution factors in terms of column stiffness and connection-and-beam restraint. Detailed design examples are given throughout the paper, and the economies of the proposed design method are unmistakable.