A Simplified Method for the Design of Steel Beam-to-column Connections

Abstract

The moment resistance of beam-to-column connections is frequently utilised in steel structures. Eurocode 3 suggests the component method to analyse such connections, and it implements the equivalent T-stub method to determine the resistance of the end plate of the beam. The latter method requires tedious and concentrated work. A simplified method is suggested to reduce the number of calculations and enable the designer to focus on construction aspects in the pre-design phase, or in education.
The resistance of the T-stub covers three possible failure modes: the yield of the plate, the failure of the of the bolt and simultaneous yield. The yield of the plate and simultaneous yield depend on numerous parameters, and they are verified by multiple equations. The failure of the bolts are more easily checked.
In the present paper, requirements for geometric ratios are defined for the widely used steel sections to assure failure of the bolts at a lower level of the load than the yield of the plate. These parameters facilitate the simple calculation of the resistance of the bolts instead of the tedious work needed for the end plate resistance.
The paper presents a proper explanation for the design rules and the effect of the geometric parameters on the resistance of the end plate. Geometric parameters are suggested for the widely used hot rolled and typical welded beam sections. All the parameters fulfil the requirements of the equivalent T-stub method of Eurocode 3.