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Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel

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Article in Advances in Structural Engineering · March 2015

DOI: 10.1260/1369-4332.18.3.439

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 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel Connection

by

Iman Faridmehr, Mohd Hanim Osman, Mahmood Md. Tahir,

Ali Farokhi Nejad and Mohammadamin Azimi1

Reprinted from

Advances in Structural Engineering

Volume 18 No. 3 2015

MULTI-SCIENCE PUBLISHING CO. LTD.

26 Eldon Way, Hockley, Essex SS5 4AD, United Kingdom
 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of
New Proposed Steel Connection

Iman Faridmehr1,*, Mohd Hanim Osman1, Mahmood Md. Tahir2,

Ali Farokhi Nejad3 and Mohammadamin Azimi1
1 Facultyof Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia
2UTM-Construction Research Centre, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia
3 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia

(Received: 31 May 2014; Received revised form 5 August 2014; Accepted: 5 August 2014)

Abstract: The performance of a new proposed steel connection against seismic

loading and progressive collapse was experimentally and numerically investigated in
this paper. The seismic performance included interstory drift angle and flexural
strength evaluated in accordance with 2010 AISC Seismic Provisions whereas
progressive collapse assessment was based on satisfaction of the acceptance criteria by
rotational capacities of the connection provided in UFC 4-023-03 guideline. The
results confirmed that the new proposed connection was capable of achieving adequate
rotational capacity and developing the full inelastic capacity of the connecting beam.
In addition, an excellent cyclic behavior was demonstrated by proposed connection
which enhance interstory drift angle. Based on the results the proposed connection has
adequate intensity and ductility to classify it as full-strength and ductile connection.

Key words: steel connection, interstory drift angle, progressive collapse, seismic performance.

1. INTRODUCTION of tests using the protocol given in Appendix S of the

When the Northridge, California earthquake occurred in 2010 AISC Seismic Provisions (2010). This particular
1994, the reliability of conventional design and connection test attempts to indicate the ability of the
construction techniques was challenged by initiation of connection in resisting large inelastic deformations
damage in many steel moment frame connections. through controlled ductile yielding in specific
Development of extensive damage in beam-to-column behavioral modes. In this regard, a research on seismic
connection that experienced rotation levels below the performance of steel moment frames was conducted by
yield capacity of the framing members was evident. the SAC Joint Venture funded by the Federal
This unexpected brittle fracture was against the Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and a series
envisaged design philosophy and behavior of these of reports such as FEMA 350 (2000) and FEMA 351
frames, which was based on energy dissipation through (2000) were published to offer the required information
formation of ductile plastic hinges in the steel beams. on seismic design of steel beam to column connections.
No significant research was conducted prior to the In the meantime, the tragic consequences of the
Northridge, California earthquake regarding the partial collapse of the Ronan Point apartment tower in
behavior of fully restrained connections; however, this 1968 raised great concerns regarding the significance of
trend has changed. At present, all moment resisting structural resistance to progressive collapse. The
connections incorporated in special or intermediate progressive collapse-related research activities have
steel moment frames have to be qualified by conduction been maximized after the 9/11 terrorist attacks which

*Corresponding author. Email address: [email protected]; Fax: +60-7-5531935; Tel: + 60-7-5531934.

Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015 439

 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel Connection

resulted in the total collapse of the World Trade Center. that of the base elements (beams or columns).
Hence, to appropriately mitigate the progressive The strategy allows “pushing” a plastic hinge
collapse phenomenon, some design codes such as the away from the vulnerable connection region.
U.S. General Services Administration, GSA (2003), ii. Weakening strategy: The most preeminent
and Department of Defense, UFC 4-023-03 (2010) example of this strategy is Reduced Beam
have included the alternate load path method as an Section or RBS connection, where a beam
alternative design approach in their guidelines. By element (usually flange) is intentionally
using the alternate load path approach, local failure weakened in bending (by reducing the width of
imposed by extreme loads will be allowed and the flanges) to create a “fuse” for ductile yield
consequently, initial damage could be mitigated and mechanism without connection failure.
major collapse could be prevented. By the time an The key strategy incorporated in this new proposed
interior column is removed from the structure by an connection would be to improve the catenary action as a
explosion or a terrorist attack for instance, an alternate major parameter to resist progressive collapse. Hence, a
load path will be developed by the adjacent structural laterally restrained beam transfer on both sides of the
assemblage including beams, columns and joints, column, Figure 2. Also, to increase the plastic capacity,
Figure 1. Furthermore, redistribution of the applied the components of the connection were situated in a way
loads on damaged members by means of catenary to increase the rotational stiffness of the connection. It
action could mitigate the progressive collapse effect is obvious that the rigidity of connection is a function of
within the structure. According to Figure 1, formation its rotational stiffness; i.e. the moment produced in the
of a string-like mechanism to resist vertical loads by the supports of the beam in Figure 3(a) under uniform
beams is referred to as the ‘‘catenary action’’. loading is a function of the rotational stiffness, C, of the
The extent of catenary action is controlled by the connection, (M = Cθ). Figure 3(b) shows the changes in
rotational capacity of beam to column joints which moment (M/M0) values against the rotational stiffness
are treated as the critical elements of any building of the connection, C. According to the curve, for the
structure. Furthermore, many reports on brittle rotational stiffness value of zero (C = 0), the moments at
connection damage according to post-earthquake supports are equal to zero as well (M/M0 = 0) which is
observations have been published ranging from minor an indication of having simple connections at supports.
cracking to completely damage. Since provision of By increasing the rotational stiffness, the M/M0 values
sufficient beam ductility prior to initiation of fracture at at supports increase accordingly to eventually approach
the joint is not met by the welded flange and bolted or 1 (M0 is the moment of the rigid support with a value of
welded web connection (the ‘pre-Northridge’ ωL2/12). A connection is classified as rigid if its
connection), the connection is not appropriate to be used moment is not lower than 85% of a fully rigid
in areas of high seismicity. Therefore, extensive connection. For example, if an IPE200 Beam with a
research activities have been conducted worldwide to length of 4 meters is considered, the minimum
evaluate this unexpected damage. There are two major
strategic approaches to improving connection detail:
i. Strengthening strategy: Such elements as cover
plates, haunches, side plate, and vertical ribs are
utilized to upgrade or enhance the load carrying
capacity of the connection region with respect to

Figure 1. A typical example of alternate load path Figure 2. The new proposed connection

440 Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015

Iman Faridmehr, Mohd Hanim Osman, Mahmood Md. Tahir, Ali Farokhi Nejad and Mohammadamin Azimi

(a) 2. PREVIOUS STUDIES ON STEEL

CONNECTION BEHAVIOR
Following the World Trade Centre attack and past
destroyer earthquakes researchers have identified
connection integrity as a key parameter to provide
structural integrity under extreme loading and have
(b)
M/Mo conducted extensive research works. For instance,
structural simulations have been conducted by
Khandelwal and El-Tawil (2007) to study major design
1 variables that affect the formation of catenary action in
0.85 special steel moment frame. In their project, welded
joints with and without reduced steel beam sections
were investigated. A similar research project was carried
out by Sadek et al. (2011) where they assessed the
performance of steel beam-column assemblies with two
Cc C
kinds of moment-resisting connections, both numerically
Figure 3. Rigidity of semi-rigid supports (a) as a function of and experimentally, using a middle column-removal
rotational stiffness of the connection (b) scenario. In 2009, an experimental and numerical
research program was conducted by Karns et al. (2009)
to study the behavior of different beam-column joints of
a steel frame exposed to blast. This study was composed
rotational stiffness, Cc, to satisfy the above condition of studying the behavior of conventional welded
would be 1100 ton.m/rad; i.e. if the rotational stiffness moment connections and side-plate moment
of the connection is equal to 1100 ton.m/rad, the connections. The development of catenary action and its
moment of that support would be 85% of a fully rigid influence on the joint behavior was investigated by
connection. Cc is referred to as the preliminary stiffness Demonceau (2012). In his study, a substructure
and once the stiffness is higher than Cc, its effect on experimental test along with five beam-column joint
structure will be mitigated, Figure 3(b). tests were conducted to investigate the development of
The specific configuration of the new proposed catenary action and its influence on the behavior of the
connection was formed to confirm that all joints. The design scenario, based on sudden column
significant energy dissipations occur in a ductile loss, proposed by Izzuddin et al. (2009) and Vlassis et
manner outside the column panel zone. Therefore, al. (2010) included a novel simplified framework to
understanding the collapse and seismic resistance assess progressive collapse of multi-storey buildings. In
capacity of the new proposed connection would another study, the behavior of WUF-B and SidePlate
ensure the safety of the structure against progressive moment connections exposed to a specified blast event
collapse and earthquakes. This study is composed of was investigated by Karns et al. (2007). The results
both numerical and experimental tests of the revealed that significantly higher load and rotational
progressive collapse and earthquake-resistant capacities were recorded for the SidePlate moment
capacities of a new proposed connection. The connection system, having 5 times the external energy at
models used in this study were scaled down to 1/6 th first failure, compared to that of the ‘Traditional’ WUF-
of their real size and were set up in the Laboratory B moment connection configuration. In seismic
of Structures and Materials, Universiti Teknologi evaluation (Lee et al. 2005) reported that RBS
Malaysia (UTM). The finite element software connection specimens may fail prior to reaching a
ABAQUS (2001) was employed to validate the rotation capacity of 4% radian. D.T. Pachoumis et al.
experimental results. To seismically assess the (2009) Conducted finite element modeling and
connection, interstory drift angle and flexural experimental study of RBS moment connection with
strength in conformance with 2010 AISC Seismic radius cut subjected to cyclic loading and using the HEA
Provisions (2010) were studied, while to assess the profiles which widely used as beam members in Europe.
progressive collapse potential of the connection, The analyses confirm the need for readjustment of the
rotational capacities of the connections were geometrical characteristics of the RBS in order to apply
supposed to satisfy the acceptance criteria given in to the European profiles. To successfully validate the
UFC 4-023-03(2010) guideline in resisting rehabilitation performance, three moment connections
progressive collapse. were rehabilitated through welding full-depth side

Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015 441

 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel Connection

plates between the column face and beam flange inner (a)
side by Chung-Che Chou et al., (2010). Based on
results, an excellent performance was demonstrated by
all rehabilitated moment connections where they
exceeded a 4% drift without fractures of beam flange
groove-welded joints. Besides, the beam flange tensile
strain near the column face was effectively reduced by
presence of the full-depth side plates. S.A. Jalali et al.
(2012) conducted a research on seismic performance of
Steel Moment-Resisting Frames (SMRF) with side-
plate connections using record-to-record uncertainties.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND

MODELING SETUP
3.1. Case Studies and Design Procedures
(b)
The details of the new proposed connection for
seismic and progressive collapse assessments are
shown in Figure 4. As an obvious from Figure 4, two MPb MPb
identical beams pass from both side of column tip. In
this type of connection, the moment resulting from
gravitational and lateral loads are transmitted to the Figure 5. Load transfer to connection (b) due to yielding
connection through a vertical couple force. It is mechanism (a)
predicted that new proposed connection is capable of
developing catenary action due to its geometry result
from continuous beam.
Figure 5(a) indicates the yielding mechanism of
the frame in case of an earthquake. Hence, the M pb1 + M pb 2
F= + Vg1 (1)
vertical load of one of the beams, resulting from the d1
combination of gravity and lateral loads, exerted on
where, Mpb = the expected flexural strengths of the
the right side connection plate is determined from the
beams at the left and right side of connection, Vg1 = the
following formula:
shear force from one of the beams at right side of
connection due to gravity load, d1 = horizontal distance
between two connection plates.
It is noteworthy to mention that the vertical load of
one of the beams on the left side of connection plate is
10
also determined from Eqn1; however, the shear force at
00
mm left side of the connection due to gravity load will be
used in the formula.
500 mm

According to Figure 6, the minimum length to

10
00 provide the sufficient contact between the connection
mm plate and beam flange, L1, is bfb + 0.5 mm where bfb
50
0m
m define as beam flange width and the minimum length to
provide the sufficient space for welding between the
connection plate and column flange, L2, is bfe + 3 mm,
500 mm

, where bfe define as column flange width. Since

fabrication of the connection plate on the column is
conducted in the shop, the length of L3, is taken as the
beam depth, db. It is recommended that the minimum
lengths of L5 and L6 be taken as 2L1 and 0.3L5.
Furthermore, the minimum length of L4 to transmit the
Figure 4. Case studies for seismic and progressive vertical force, F, from the fillet weld to the column is
collapse assessment determined from the following formula:

442 Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015

Iman Faridmehr, Mohd Hanim Osman, Mahmood Md. Tahir, Ali Farokhi Nejad and Mohammadamin Azimi

(a)
L1 L2 L1 (b)
F2 d1 F1

L5
L6 2MPb1
L3 L4 2Vg2 2Vg1

2MPb2

F2 F1
dc

Figure 6. Plate dimensions (a) and applied loads to the connection plate (b)

F F
L4 = (2) 2 1.25F
R 'w t = 1.5 = (5)
0.8 Fy L2 Fy L2
where, R′ w = weld value per unit length during extreme
loading that is 33% higher than the strength of weld Notice that the allowable shear stress is taken as 0.53Fy.
during normal loading. iv. Checking the tensile stress along the length of the
Notice that to determine the dimensions of the connection plate:
connection plate, the design procedure was chosen in a
way that the beam yielded completely and the moment
F
became equal to Mpb , while the allowable stress of the 2 1.25F
t = 1.5 = (6)
connection plate was taken as 0.8Fy instead of Fy so that 0.8 Fy L2 Fy L2
yielding of the beam occurred sooner than
the connection plate. Hence, the minimum thickness of In this system, the flanges of both two beams must be
the connection plate is taken as the maximum of the joint together in distance not bigger than 40ry (ry define
following formulas: as radius of gyration about y axis, weak axis), and also
i. Checking the compressive and tensile stresses in section properties such as the ratio of flange width to
the connection plate b fb
flange thickness, , shall follow seismically
2 t fb
M pb1 + M pb 2 compact section characteristics. Moreover, the ultimate
F = + Vg1 (3) shear strength capacity of beam along the two
d1
connection plates, shear panel zone of beam, must
satisfy the following formula:
2 3
L  L   L 
where, Z1 = 1.39 − 2.2 1 + 1.27  1  − 0.25  1  F  3b fb + t fb 2 
Ls  L5   L5  fv = ≤ Fv = 0.4 Fy 1 +  (7)
t wb  t wb dc d b 
ii. Checking the welding stress between the
connection plate and beam flange where, twb = thickness of beam web, bfb= width of beam
flange, tfb = thickness of beam flange, dc = depth of
column, db = depth of beam.
F 0.625F
t= 2 = If the required strength is higher than the existing
0.8 Fyφ b fb Fyφ b fb one, installation of web doubler plate or a pair of
diagonal stiffeners with strengths at least equal to the
where, φ = Reduction factor of the allowable stress of difference between the required strength and
the weld, bfb = width of beam flange. the existing one would be necessary in the shear panel
iii. Checking the shear stress in the connection plate zone area. The column-beam ratio must be satisfied for

Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015 443

 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel Connection

this system using Eqn 8 in conformance with AISC Table 1. Beam, column and connection sections
Seismic Provisions (AISC 341 2010). properties used in this study

Moment of
∑ M Pc > 1 (8) Element Size (mm) Inertia(cm4)
∑ M Pb Beam Section
Web 36 × 1.5 7.5*
Flange 30 × 1.5
where, ∑ M Pb = The sum of the projections of the Column Section
nominal flexural strengths (Mpc) of the column above Web 62 × 4 69.0
Flange 70 × 4
and below the connection joint, at the location of Connection Plates
formation of theoretical hinge in the column. The L1 30
nominal flexural strength of the column is determined L2 80
using Eqn 9: L3 40
L4 180
 P  L5 45
∑ M Pc = ∑ Zc  Fyc − Au  (9) L6
thickness
18
3.5
g

where, Zc = the plastic section modulus of the column *Notice that this is moment of inertia for both two beams.
(mm3), Fyc = the minimum specified yield strength of
the column at the connection (MPa), Pu/Ag = Ratio of
column axial compressive load, determined in
conformance with load and resistance factor provisions, melting is performed at the same speed that it is being
to gross area of the column (MPa). ∑ M Pb = The sum
fed and therefore, the weld pool is formed. To
simultaneously protect the weld pool and the arc from
of the projections of the expected flexural strengths of atmospheric contamination, a nozzle concentric with the
the beams at the plastic hinge locations to the column welding wire guide tube is used for conveying a shield
centerline. Determination of the expected flexural of inert gas inside the weld pool. This type of welding
strength of the beam is achieved by using Eqn 10: application is beneficial in terms of speed, continuity,
relative freedom from distortion, reliable automatic
∑ M Pb = ∑ (1.1 Ry Fyb Zb + M v ) (10) welding along with versatility and control of manual
welding. There has been an accelerated trend in using
where, Ry = adjustment coefficient for material over this process in mechanized set-ups. A handheld gun, as
strength, according to Table 1-6-1 of AISC Seismic a semi-automatic process, was used to carry out the
Provisions (AISC 341 2010). Fyb = specified minimum MIG welding in this project. Voltage, arc (stick-out)
yield strength of the beam (MPa), Zb = plastic modulus length, travel speed and wire feed rate fit to plate
of the beam section (mm3), Mv = additional moment as thickness are known as welding parameters. The filler
a result of shear amplification from the location of the metal transfer method was determined by the wire feed
beam hinge to the column centerline (N – mm). rate and arc voltage. It is noteworthy to mention that
Based on the previous mentioned formulas, the section coating of the specimens with lime was performed to
properties of the beam, column and the connection plates observe the yielding within the connection region.
used in this study are summarized in Table 1. Different loading protocols and lateral restraint
assemblies were incorporated in seismic and
3.2. Fabrication and Modeling Setup progressive collapse performance of the 1/6th scale
The test specimens were fabricated by a combination of testing specimens, Figure 8. The missing column
university laboratory personnel and commercial scenario (AP method) was used for progressive collapse
fabricators. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), evaluation in this research where the interior column
commonly known as Metal Inert Gas (MIG), was used within the structure was destroyed by an instantaneous
in this research. This type of welding process includes a disastrous event. A 250-KN hydraulic pseudo-dynamic
group of arc welding procedures where powered feed actuator with a maximum piston stroke of 500 mm
rolls (wire feeder) feed a continuous electrode (the wire) which install to the tip of the beam was selected to
inside the weld pool (Figure 7). Once welding conduct the cyclic test and evaluate seismic behavior,
commences, an electric arc will be made between the Figure 9(a). In this test both sides of the beam were
weld pool and the tip of the wire. The progressive wire laterally restrained at middling length from the

444 Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015

Iman Faridmehr, Mohd Hanim Osman, Mahmood Md. Tahir, Ali Farokhi Nejad and Mohammadamin Azimi

1 Gun trigger
2 Welding wire
3 Weld
5 4 Weld pool
5 Gun
1
6 Shroud
6 7 Gas diffuser
7 8 Contact tip
9 Shielding
8 Droplets
10
2 9
3 10

Figure 7. A schematic view of welding transfer and accessories

centerline of the specimen column. To successfully Strain gauges were installed at predictive hinge location
simulate the progressive collapse, a monotonically of beams, commonly at the beam to column interface, to
increasing “ramp” was hired in this study, Figure 9(b). measure the internal forces of the specimens. The
In this test the beam was laterally restrained on both location of removed column was equipped by the
sides at a location 150 and 800 mm from the centerline instrument called Linear Variable Differential
of the specimen column for progressive collapse test. Transducer (LVDT) to measure the vertical deflections
at that region and hence, help the authors assess the

(a) (b)
+
Rea
AISC loading protocal cting
fram
e
Fix
−
Fix
Vertical force

Fix
Fix Lateral bracing
Fix

Lateral bracing
Fix
Fix

Figure 8. Modeling set up for seismic (a) and progressive collapse assessment (b)

(a) (b)

Figure 9. The dynamic actuator (a) and hydraulic jack (b) used for seismic and progressive collapse evaluation

Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015 445

 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel Connection

progressive collapse as well. A summary of other Table 2. Calculation of scale factors

assumptions used in this study are as follows: used in this study
i. The specimens were only constrained in plane
Scale factor
(two-dimensional tests only). The out-of-plane
Quantities Symbol value
influence of beams concurring to the joint was
ignored. Material-Related Properties
Modulus of Elasticity SE 1
ii. Slab effects were neglected (conservative
Strain Sε 1
approach). Stress Sσ 1
iii. initial conditions of the specimens were zero Poisson's Ratio v 1
stresses resulting from gravity and live loads plus Geometry
zero velocity. Linear Displacement S1 6
In order to convert a scaled-down model to a full- Area S12 36
Moment of Inertia S14 1296
scale one, a series of fundamental scaling factors must Elastic & Plastic
be used including Sε, the scaling factor for strain SE, the Section Modulus S13 216
scaling factor for the material elastic modulus, Sσ, the Loading
scaling factor for stress, SM, the scaling factor for mass Concentrated Load SE S12 36
particularly applied in dynamic simulations and finally, Moment or Torque SE S13 216
Shear Force SE S12 36
S1, the scaling factor for length. Since the same steel
material was used in the prototype and the model in this
study, SE = 1. The following formulas are used to
determine the above mentioned scaling factors: P
S= (15)
prototype length 6 A0
s1 = = =6
model length 1 (11)
σ = s (1 + e ) (16)
s 
s =  ∆L  = 1
 sL 
(12) ε = In (1 + e ) (17)

where, σ and ε are the true stress and strain values

s = sE s = sE whereas e and S are engineering strain and stress values
(13)
respectively (the uniaxial tensile test). The true and
Therefore, Eqns 11 to 13 will be used to determine all engineering stress-strain curves along with the universal
other preferred scaling factors. The scale factor values testing machine hired in this study are shown in Figure 10.
are given in Table 2. The yield stress and ultimate tensile strength values obtained
from the tensile testing were 320 MPa and 510 MPa
3.3. Finite Element Modeling Procedure respectively. Fixing the column base in all degrees of
To efficiently model large deformations and strains, the freedom plus using displacement control in vertical
FE software ABAQUS/STANDARD (2001) was used direction to apply the load was considered in the FEA
in implementation of the numerical portion of the study. modeling process. A quasi static loading with a rate of
The eight-node solid C3D8R element with six degrees 2 mm/s was selected for the tests. Moreover, the hex
of freedom representing three force components and element was used in all FEA models however a finer
three moment components simultaneously was used to size mesh was used within the connection region.
get more accurate responses from the FE model.
Besides, the true stress-strain curve was applied by the 3.4. Loading Protocol
authors to obtain better results (Faridmehr et al. 2014). The loading sequence used for seismic evaluation was
Determination of true stress-strain for a FEA that prescribed by AISC Seismic Provisions (2010). The
representation is achieved using the following formulas: AISC Protocol specifies a series of load steps and the
number of cycles for each as shown in Figure 11. Each
∆I load step corresponds to a total interstory drift angle
e=
I (14) (Azimi et al. 2014). The load steps were executed and
data points recorded at regular intervals. Observations

446 Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015

Iman Faridmehr, Mohd Hanim Osman, Mahmood Md. Tahir, Ali Farokhi Nejad and Mohammadamin Azimi

(a) (b)
600
Stress (N/mm2) 500
400
300
200
Engineering stress-strain
100 True stress-strain
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
Strain (mm/mm)

Figure 10. (a) Material properties for true stress-strain and engineering stress-strain; (b) Universal testing machine

were recoded and photographs taken at the end of each beams or girders. Finally, the following seismic
load step. By the time the specimen strength decreased requirements were supposed to be satisfied by proposed
to 40% of the maximum strength, the loading process connection:
was stopped. The vertical push-down analysis for i. The minimum interstory drift angle of 0.04 rad had
progressive collapse assessment was carried out by to be sustained by the connections, Figure 12 (a).
gradually increasing the vertical displacement at the ii. The flexural resistance of the connection
location of the removed column to investigate the determined at the column face had to be equal to at
connection rotational capacity. Acceptance Criteria least 0.80Mp of the connected beam at an inter
Based on AISC Seismic Provisions (2010) and UFC 4- story drift angle of 0.04 rad.
023-03 (2010) are: Adequate rotational capacity of connection is
Based on AISC Seismic Provisions (2010), SMF fundamental to arresting progressive collapse, Figure
shall be designed to provide significant inelastic drift 12(b). Moment connections that have been prequalified
capacity through flexural yielding of the SMF beams for rotational capacity due to bending alone may not be
and limited yielding of column panel zones. capable of concurrently resisting the interaction of axial
Furthermore, Columns shall be designed to be generally tension and bending moment, which is an essential
stronger than the fully yielded and strain-hardened performance attribute for preventing progressive

0.06

0.04
Interstory drift angle

0.02

−0.02

−0.04

−0.06
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Loading cycles

Continue loading at increments of = 0.01 radians, with two cycle of loading at

each step

Figure 11. The loading protocol used for seismic assessment

Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015 447

 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel Connection

collapse. While tension stiffness (‘cable-like’ action) high strain values proved that the beams were subjected
can significantly increase the load carrying capacity of to severe axial force to form catenary action. In the other
the system over bending moment alone, the beam-to- hand the strain at the column shear zone, the column
column connection must be able to transfer the large web portion delimited by the beam continuity plates and
flange tension forces developed from the combination the column flanges, remained at the elastic range
of bending moment and axial tension. Table 5-2 of UFC throughout the loading scenario.
4-023-03 (2010) highlights the design strength and The following sequence is an indication of the failure
rotational capacities of the beam-to-column connections mode: i) inelastic local buckling of the top beam flanges
used in assessment of the progressive collapse. Since and webs. ii) Fracture initiation at the flange at the
this new proposed type of connection does not exist in tension side of the beam with consequent propagation to
the Table 5-2 of UFC (2010), the plastic rotation angles the web. The damaged state of the specimen plus the
of the SidePlate connection have been used in this study plastic equivalent strain distribution after the final step
(Table 3). of progressive collapse test is shown in Figures 13(a)
and 13(b) respectively.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The numerical and experimental plots of the new
4.1. Progressive Collapse Assessment proposed connection in terms of vertical load (KN)
The typical behavior of the double-span beams based on versus the plastic hinge rotation angle (rad) for the
numerical and experimental results are discussed in this progressive collapse tests are shown in Figure 14.
section. The plastic rotation angle, θ, as the foremost According to Figure 14, there is a good correlation
variable in assessment of progressive collapse is defined between the experimental and numerical results in terms
as the vertical deflection of the column, ∆, divided by the of yield point, strain hardening, modes of failure and
clear span length of the beam, L as illustrated in Figure 12. maximum plastic hinge rotations. The acceptance
Based on the data collected by direct observation, criteria used for this new proposed connection is similar
photographic documentation and data logger during the to the SidePlate connection.
test, it was observed that formation of plastic hinges, at Table 4 gives a comparison between the experimental
first stage of failure, occurred at the beam top flange (test) and numerical (analysis) results of progressive
between two connection plates at vertical load of 6.7 collapse for the new proposed connection specimen.
KN. Also, it was observed that the concentration of the
beam’s rotation was at this region along with increasing 4.2. Seismic Assessment
deflection at the mid-span. Besides, the specimen The seismic performance of the new proposed
experienced significant global hardening along with connection is discussed in this section. Interstory drift
formation of plastic hinges at the beams only. Failure of angle is believed to be the key parameter in evaluation
the new proposed connection occurred at a vertical load of the seismic performance of structures as illustrated in
of around 18.6 KN, along with a corresponding beam- Figure 12. An excellent performance was observed by
chord rotation of about 0.22 rad. The strain gauges the new proposed connection when subjected to cyclic
placed at beam flange recorded strains of 5000 to 5800 loading and plastic hinge was developed mainly at the
µε (micro-strain), almost 3 times higher than the beam. Also, interstory drift angle, which is an indication
nominal yield strain of 1800 µε, designating that beams of ductility, was greater than 0.06 rad. Initial yielding
experienced plastic range at these strain values. These occurred during the first cycle at 0.02 radians, which

(a)

(b)
P

q ∆

u
q (= u/L)
Interstory drift angle q = ∆ / Lbeam

L L

Lbeam

Figure 12. Definition of interstory drift angle (a) and connection rotation capacity (b)

448 Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015

Iman Faridmehr, Mohd Hanim Osman, Mahmood Md. Tahir, Ali Farokhi Nejad and Mohammadamin Azimi

Table 3. Acceptance criteria for fully restrained elastic region. With each successive loading cycle, the
moment connections local buckling of the flange deteriorated accordingly.
Furthermore, bottom flange and web buckling were not
Connection Plastic rotation
type angle (θ), radians
accompanied by a substantial deterioration in the
hysteresis loop. A slight strength degradation was
Primary Secondary observed after the cycle of 0.05 rad as a result of
SidePlate 0.089-0.0005d 0.169-0.0001d initiation of groove welding fracture between the
d = depth of beam, inch connection plate and beam flange plus inelastic
buckling at beam flange. No column or panel zone
yielding was reported for the new proposed connection
during the test despite the fact that it resisted one
was observed at the bottom flange. Once the loading complete cycle of interstory drift angle of 0.06 rad. All
sequence continued, yielding propagation initiated in all, the extensive plastic hinge formation at the
along the beam flange between two connection plates. beam’s flanges region along with strain values beyond
The connection plate began to yield during the first 4500 µε (micro-strain), read by strain gages installed at
cycle of 0.03 rad. Web buckling adjacent to the yielded beam flanges, indicated the excellent performance of the
bottom flange appeared during the second cycle of 0.03 new proposed connection under cyclic loading. The
rad. The local buckling of the bottom flange developed experimental failure mode plus the plastic equivalent
at 0.04 rad cycle. The important issue during these strain distribution at the end of cyclic test are shown in
cycles was that the column panel zone remained in Figures 15(a) and 15(b).

(b)
PEEO
(Avg: 75%)
+7.455e−02
+6.917e−02
(a) +6.379e−02
+5.841e−02
+5.303e−02
+4.765e−02
+4.227e−02
+3.690e−02
+3.152e−02
+2.641e−02
+2.076e−02
+1.538e−02
+1.000e−02
Initiation of fracture +0.000e−00
at beam flange Inelastic buckling
of beam flange

Figure 13. Damaged state of the specimens after the end of progressive collapse test (a) and plastic equivalent strain distribution (b)

25
Complete failure
Numericaly Groove weld fracture between
of beam
Experimental beam and connection plate
20
Vertical load (KN)

Acceptance criteria
15

10

5
Buckling of Initiation of fracture
beam flange at beam flang

0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
Plastic hinge rotation angle (radians)

Figure 14. Vertical load vs plastic hinge rotation angle for experimental progressive collapse tests

Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015 449

 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel Connection

Table 4. Result summaries of progressive collapse evaluation

Joint
Vertical force Max vertical Joint rotation at
Moment at first Force at end of rotation at rotation at
Connection fracture Test first fracture end of the test
type (KN) (KN) (radians) (radians) Mode of failure

Analysis Test Analysis Test Analysis Test Analysis Test Analysis Test
Proposed Beam Beam
Connection 10.6 12.9 16.9 18.6 0.11 0.11 0.22 0.22 Failure Failure

Figure 16 shows a reasonable correlation, mainly in numerical results.

the elastic region where the divergences are Table 5 gives a comparison between the
negligible, between the experimental and numerical experimental (test) and numerical (analysis) results of
results of the test. The plastic strain distribution of test seismic evaluation for the new proposed connection
specimen at 0.06 story drift indicated that formation used in this study.
of plastic hinges was in the same location as the
experimental test and consequently, the plastic 5. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND
deformations were concentrated therein. Based on the CONCLUDING REMARKS
numerical data, no levels of plastic strains were The seismic and progressive collapse performance of
experienced by the connection plates and panel zones, a new proposed connection was investigated in this
and development of the inelastic deformation was paper. The interstory drift angle and flexural strength
only in the beam’s plastic hinge. Last but not least, in conformance with AISC Seismic Provisions (2010)
development of the maximum Von Mises strain in the along with plastic rotation angle based on UFC 4-023-
model at the beam flange was about twice bigger that 03 (2010) guideline were the major acceptance criteria
the strain in the beam web. Generally, a good for seismic and progressive collapse evaluation
correlation exists between the experimental and respectively. The following conclusions have been

(a) (b)

Fracture at groove welding between

beam and connection plate

Inelastic buckling of beam

flange and connection plate

PEEO
(Avg; 75%)
+1.600e−01
+1.475e−01
+1.350e−01
+1.225e−01
+1.100e−01
+9.749e−02
+8.499e−02
+7.249e−02
+5.999e−02
+4.749e−02
+3.500e−02
+2.250e−02
+1.000e−02
+0.000e+00

Figure 15. Damaged state at the end of seismic test (a) and plastic equivalent strain distribution (b).

450 Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015

Iman Faridmehr, Mohd Hanim Osman, Mahmood Md. Tahir, Ali Farokhi Nejad and Mohammadamin Azimi

250
Numerical Experimertal
200

150 0.8 Mp

Moment column face (Kg.M)

100

50

−50

−100

−150

−200

−250
−0.1 −0.08 −0.06 −0.04 −0.02 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1
Interstory drift angle (radians)

Figure 16. Moment at column face vs interstory drift angle

Table 5. Results summaries of seismic evaluation

Interstory Interstory
Moment drift angle at drift angle at
connection M/Mp M/Mp first fracture end of the test
type First fracture Maximum (Radians) (Radians) Mode of failure

Analysis Test Analysis Test Analysis Test Analysis Test Analysis Test
Proposed Beam Beam
Connection 1.10 1.18 1.35 1.28 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.06 Failure Failure

made regarding the experimental and numerical large rotations rather than pure tying resistance.
results: If large rotations are not taken into account in the
i. The new proposed connection was able to design stage, the joints having poor rotation
achieve adequate rotational capacity, develop capacities will not be capable of achieving the
catenary action and also develop the full inelastic design tying resistances.
capacity of the connecting beam. Therefore, it iv. Considering the seismic performance test results,
could be a robust and effective solution in case of one complete cycle of an interstory drift angle of
a terrorist bomb blast, including progressive 0.06 rad was satisfied by the new proposed
collapse. connection. Hence, this connection can be used
ii. The new proposed connection achieved in SMF according to AISC Seismic Provisions
considerably high load and rotational capacities (2010).
in progressive collapse test, with up to 3 times v. The maximum moment developed at beam was
bigger after first yielding. almost 1.20 times bigger than the actual beam
iii. Detailed progressive collapse assessments plastic moment, Mp. Also, the strain hardening
showed that the failure mode and the catenary value of 1.5, determined based on FEMA 350
action formation were controlled by the tensile (2000), was exceeded during the experimental tests.
capacities of beam-column joint after vi. The new proposed connection is able to reduce
experiencing large rotations. This indicates that lateral steel tonnage because of connection
high tensile resistances of beam-column joints stiffness resulting from the 100% rigid panel
must be adopted by engineers after experiencing zone.

Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015 451

 Seismic and Progressive Collapse Assessment of New Proposed Steel Connection

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Jalali, S., Banazadeh, M., Abolmaali, A. and Tafakori, E. (2012).

The authors wish to thank the esteemed technical staff “Probabilistic seismic demand assessment of steel moment
of the Laboratory of Structures and Materials, Universiti frames with side-plate connections”, Scientia Iranica, Vol. 19,
Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for their cooperation and No. 1, pp. 27–40.
support in this study. The financial support provided by Azimi, M., Adnan, A.B., Osman, M.H., Sam, A.R.B.M., Faridmehr,
the University for conducting the experimental work is I. and Hodjati, R. (2014). “Energy absorption capacity of
also admirable. reinforced concrete beam-column connections, with ductility
classes low”, American Journal of Civil Engineering and
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452 Advances in Structural Engineering Vol. 18 No. 3 2015

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