J. Construct.

Steel Research 10 (1988) 8%131

Static Web Moment Connections

W. F. C h e n
Department of Structural Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University,
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
&
E. M. L u i
Department of Civil Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA

ABSTRACT

In a web connection, the beam is framed into the column web with the action
of the beam moment causing bending of the column about its weak axis. The
analysis and design of this type of connection is comparably more difficult
than that for flange connections, because the maximum strength of the
connection assemblage may be limited by the formation of plastic hinges in
the column or in the beam, by the formation of a yield line type of
mechanism in the column web, by the development of local buckling of the
column flanges and web, and by the fracture of material of the assemblage.
This paper primarily deals with these limiting factors with much emphasis in
the connection moment and rotation capacities as well as its elastic stiffness
under working load.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the preceding article, the behavior, test highlights and design recom-
mendations for flange moment connections under monotonically applied
loads have been discussed. In this paper, another type of m o m e n t
connection referred to as web moment connection will be discussed. A w e b
m o m e n t connection is one which connects a beam to the web of the column
as depicted in Fig. 1. U n d e r an unbalanced joint moment, the column will
b e n d a b o u t its weak axis.
89
J. Construct. Steel Research 0143-974X/88/$03.50 © 1988 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd,
England. Printed in Great Britain
90 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

...4..I P+V
z / / ~ /~1/,=. ", ~ ¸

I'
iI
II

K
I'

I _

II "~

f!

v z / z z r z l Z Z l

Section A-A
(a)

(b)

Fig. I. Web connection assemblage and test set-up. (a) The assemblage for web
connections; (b) the test set up for web connections.
 Static web momentconnecfions 91

The analysis and design of this type of connection is comparably more

difficult than that for flange connections for the following reasons:
(1) Theoretically the maximum strength of the connection assemblage
corresponds to the state when plastic hinges form in the column or in
the beam. However, for web moment connections there exist other
factors that limit this maximum strength. For example, if the beam
flanges that are welded to the column web are much narrower than
the distance between column fillets, a yield line type of mechanism
may form in the column web plate before the formation of plastic
hinges in the column or beam. Other limiting factors that prevent the
attainment of the plastic limit load based on a simple plastic theory
include local buckling of the column flanges and web, and fracture of
material of the assemblage. If the loading of the beam and column is
such that it exceeds the load required for the formation of a yield line
mechanism or local buckling, stiffening of the column must be
considered.
(2) Even after the connection has been properly designed and detailed,
the erection of such assemblage in the field may be arduous because of
the space restrictions imposed by the column flanges.
This paper will deal primarily with the first consideration. Emphasis will
be placed on the strength and rotation capacity of the connection as well as
its elastic stiffness under working load.
Although web connections are used quite often today in steel frames, a
thorough knowledge of their behavior remains relatively unknown.
Questions often posed are:
1. Can the connection attain its plastic limit load without premature
failure?
2. Can the connection exhibit enough ductility to permit moment re-
distribution?
3. Does it have sufficient elastic stiffness under working loads?
4. What criteria govern the need for providing stiffeners for the column?
5. What are the limiting factors that a designer should be aware of?
6. What effect does column axial load have on the performance of such
connections?
7. What connection media (welding, bolting, or a combination of both)
should be used?
8. If welding is used, how should the beam flange or beam flange con-
nection plates be connected to the column? Should they be welded to
the column flanges or would merely welding to the column web be
sufficient?
92 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

To answer these questions, a systematic study of these web connections,

both theoretically and experimentally, is imperative. The purpose of this
paper is to investigate and discuss the behavior of some specific beam-to-
column web connections. Theoretical analyses using simple plastic theory,
yield line theory and finite element method will be presented. The results of
these theoretical predictions will be checked against experimental results
based on full-scale connection tests carried out at Lehigh University. 1

2 BACKGROUND

Previous research on web beam-to-column moment connections is scanty.

Static testing of early web connections under symmetric loading was
reported by Graham e t al. 2 in which four-way beam-to-column m o m e n t
connection tests were conducted. Research on unsymmetric web con-
nections under repeated and reversed loading was reported by Popov and
Pinkney. 3 Additional tests on web connection assemblages under cyclic
loading were also reported. 4'5 Because of the lack of full-scale testing con-
ducted on such connections, the understanding of these web connections is
very limited. In order to acquire a better knowledge on the behavior of web
m o m e n t connections, a testing program of these moment-resisting steel
beam-to-column web connections was initiated at Lehigh University 6 in the
mid seventies under the guidance of the American Iron and Steel Institute
and the Welding Research Council. The main aim of this program is to
provide theoretical predictions and experimental results on web moment
connections under static loading using welding, bolting and a combination
of welding and bolting as connection media.
The experimental study of web moment connections was divided into two
distinct phases of activity: (1) pilot test program; and (2) full scale test
program. A brief description of these programs is given as follows. A
comprehensive report on these types of connection tests is given
elsewhere, v.8

3 PILOT TEST P R O G R A M

The pilot test program consists of a series of preliminary tests to investigate

the column web strength, column web behavior and failure modes of
simulated web connections under the action of beam moment. Instead of
using a W-section for the beam, two moment plates simulating the tension
and compression flanges of a beam were used. These plates were welded to
column sections using four different attachment details (Figs 2 and 3). A
 Static web moment connections 93

TeSt12A-WI2
Test x 106
14A-WI4x 184 -- ~
Lr l~ve ~] T---
H I I ~ IEA:d'~
b'J l J It~ 14A:d-6K)~ ........

~_ 12A 178x25
14A,159x32 j
Test A

Test 12B*W12x106
t-'Test 14B-Wl4x184

i ~WeldGroove

12B,d-2
14B,d=610~

~.12B, 241x25
14B,286x25 A

Test B
Fig. 2. Geometries of pilot Tests A and B (dimensions in mm).

compressive force was loaded on one plate and a tensile force was loaded on
the other to simulate the bending moment of a beam acted upon the column.
The aim of these pilot tests was to provide the necessary criteria such as
m e m b e r sizes, connection geometry and stiffener requirements for the
design of full-scale specimens. Additional objectives of these tests were:
1. To study the behavior and ultimate strength of the column web under
the action of concentrated flange forces representing the beam
moment.
2. To study different methods of attaching the beam flanges to the
column web.
3. To study the stiffener requirements on the side of the column opposite
the beam.
The test setup for the pilot tests is shown in Fig. 4. The column was placed
horizontally on two supports and loaded at two points by means of a
spreader beam. The two supports are the compression plates of each
94 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

Test 12C-W12x106
Test 14C-Wl4x 184 ,,~,

] 12C'd'3561
I' 14C=d=610L

L I 2 C =25 Thick Z
14C:25 Thick
Test C

Test IZD-WIExI06
14D-WI4 x 184
/,d','; '
"-- 14D,25

14D=d = 610L

~__12D, 32 Thick
14D, 32 Thick
J
Test D
Fig. 3. Geometries of pilot Tests C and D (dimensionsin mm).

tension-compression pair of plates. With this set-up, two tests can be

c o n d u c t e d simultaneously on one column. Because of the centrally placed
testing machine load, a load of P/2 acts on each tension flange plate. In Fig. 4
Section A - A shows the method of transferring the load P/2 around the
column section using a yoke so that the force can be applied as a uniform
tensile load to the two tension flange plates. The compression reaction and
the applied tensile load at each end of the column provides the force couple
n e e d e d to simulate the beam-end moment. In these tests, no axial force was
applied to the column and no shear force was acting between the two tension
plates in the column. The only variable being examined here was the effect
of bending forces on the column. In the test program, Tests A and B (Fig. 2)
were tested simultaneously, as were Tests C and D (Fig. 3).
The detailed test program consisted of eight different test specimens. Two
different column sizes were utilized, one (W12 x 106) would be char-
acteristic of a typical upper story and the other (W14 x 184) would be
 Static web m o m e n t connections 95

~.91.4¢m ( 3i ) JP91.4em (3').._ ~ A

I-- ! --I '

2 ~P

T=C
Schematic Diagram

Section A-A
(a)

(b)
Fig. 4. Pilot test assemblage and test set-up. (a) The assemblage for pilot tests; (b) the test
set-up for pilot tests.
96 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

representative of a typical lower story of a multi-story building. For each

column section, four different geometries of attaching the simulated flange
plates were employed. These geometries are shown in Figs 2 and 3. The
thickness of the plates were designed so that the theoretical ultimate load
could be reached without yielding of the plates. The theoretical ultimate
load is the load at which plastic hinges are formed in the column.
The two column shapes and the plates attached to them were made of
A572 Grade 50 steel.
The purpose of Test A was to simulate a narrow beam flange plate so that
the bending of the column web could be observed as well as the pattern and
associated strength of any yield line mechanism which might occur.
As the beam flange width increases, a point is reached at which bending of
the web is not predominant and the yield line mechanism theoretically
cannot form. Test B was such a case that the flange plate spans the distance
between the column fillets so that a column web yield line mechanism cannot
form. The intent of this test was to see whether the maximum plastic hinge
load could be attained or whether shear punch of the column web would
occur at a lower load level.
Tests C and D simulate the case of a beam flange plate having a width
equal to the clear distance between column flanges. These tests represent
the case where a beam flange is so wide that the use of a narrower flange
connection plate is necessary to connect the beam flanges to the column
web. Test C had the flange plate fillet welded to the column web and flanges
whereas Test D had the flange plate fillet welded to the column flanges only.
Because of space restrictions, a detailed discussion of these pilot tests will
not be attempted here. Interested readers should refer to the papers by
Chen and Rentschler9 and Rentschler et al. 1o for a thorough discussion of the
tests. Some important observations which are useful to guide the design of
full-scale specimens are given here as follows:
1. For Test A in which the flange plates were groove welded to a narrow
portion of the column web, a yield line type of mechanism could not be
developed in the column web because of fracture of column web
material at the ends of the tension plates.
2. For Test B in which the flange plates were groove welded to the full
width of the column web, the theoretical plastic hinge mechanism of
the column could not be attained because of fracture of column web
material at the ends of the tension plates.
3. For Tests A and B, out-of-plane deformations of column flanges and
web were quite significant. These deformations, if coupled by high
axial forces in the column, may cause local buckling. No significant
out-of-plane deformations of the column flanges and web were
observed for Tests C and D.
 Static web moment connections 97

4. For Test C in which the flange plates were fillet welded to the column
flanges and web, and Test D in which the flange plates were fillet
welded to the column flanges only, sufficient elastic stiffness and
adequate strength were observed. No premature failure occurred but
check against possible shear yielding of the flange plate adjacent to the
flange weld should be made.
The load-deflection behavior of Tests C and D was very similar. This is
attributed to the fact that only a small portion of plate force" was carried by
the column web. A significant portion (90%) of the plate force was carded
by the column flanges.

4 FULL-SCALE TEST PROGRAM

Following the pilot test program was the design and test of four full-scale
web moment connections. The test set-up for the full-scale specimens is
shown in Fig. 1. Each assemblage consists of an 18-ft (5.5 m) long column
and a beam approximately 5-ft (1.5 m) long framed into one side of the
column web at mid-height. These tests were designed for unsymmetrical
loads because it was felt that this loading would be more critical than the
symmetrically loaded case.
It should be noted from Fig. 1 that the column is subjected to an axial
force and the connection is subjected to the combined action of shear and
bending moment. It is the objective of this study to investigate the behavior
of the connection under these severe loading conditions.
Four full-scale specimens using welds, bolts and a combination of welds
and bolts were designed according to the AISC Specification (1969). The
connections were proportioned to resist the moment and shear generated by
the full factored load. Since the loading condition resembled a gravity type
of loading (dead load plus live load), the load factor used was 1.7. Thus, the
stresses used in proportioning welds, shear plates, and top and bottom
moment plates were then equal to 1-7 times those given in Section 1.5---
Allowable Stresses of the AISC Specification (1969) (see AISC Manual~2).
For the full-scale specimens, the column size used was W14 × 246 and the
beam section used was W27 × 94. These sections were chosen to simulate
actual beam-to-column web connections in a multi-story steel frame. The
length of the column was 18 ft (5.5 m). The beam lengths (measured from
point of application of load to centerline of column web) varied for the four
specimens. Each connection was designed to resist Mp (Mp = plastic
moment capacity of the section) and approximately 0-81 Vp (V~ = beam
load required to cause shear yielding of the beam web) at the beam-to-
column juncture.
98 w. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

The specimens were fabricated using ASTM A572 Grade 50 steel. This
steel was selected because of its availability at the time of the tests. In
addition, there is a narrower margin between the yield and ultimate stresses
than for lower strength steels. Thus, if the connection behavior is adequate
for A572 steel, the results could be assumed to apply to lower grade steels.
In connections in which some of the elements were bolted, ASTM A490
bolts designed as bearing-type connection having an allowable stress of
40 ksi (276 MN/m 2) were used. Standard holes having a diameter of
(1.6 mm) larger than the bolt diameter were used. The bolts were
installed by the turn-of-nut method. A hardened washer was used under the
element (nut or bolt head). Joint surfaces and nut rotation from snug tight
condition were in accordance with the AISC provisions.
In connections in which the elements were welded, E70XX low hydrogen
electrodes are used. In determining the size of fillet weld, the design shear
stress on the effective throat was 1.7 times 21 ksi (145 MN/m2). Defects were
checked by ultrasonic methods before load testing. Procedures for welding
followed those outlined in the AWS code. 13
The four specimens were designated as 14-1, 14-2, 14-3 and 14-4. Speci-
mens 14-1 and 14-2 are flange-welded web-bolted connections, Specimen
14-3 is a fully-bolted connection and Specimen 14-4 is a fully-welded
connection.

5 B E H A V I O R AND TEST H I G H L I G H T S OF T H E
FULLY-WELDED CONNECTION

The connection detail for the fully-welded specimen 14-4 is shown in Fig. 5.
The beam flanges were connected to the column by means of flange m o m e n t
plates. These plates, equal in thickness to the beam flanges, were fillet
welded to the column flanges and web. The beam flanges were groove
welded to these m o m e n t plates. The beam web was groove welded to the
shear plate to transfer beam shear. The web shear plate was fillet welded to
both the column web and flange moment plates. The beam web was welded
to the web shear plate after being held in position by three ~ in (19 mm) A307
erection bolts. The critical section for this connection is at the column flange
tips with a beam span (distance between point of application of load and
centerline of column) length of 56 in (1422 mm).
The purpose of this test was to provide a control against which the
behavior of other specimens can be compared.
Figure 6 shows the load-deflection behavior of this connection. This
connection exhibits a linear elastic slope up to a beam load of approximately
150 kips (667 kN) after which the stiffness starts to reduce due to local
 Static web moment connections 99

z5
.~ ./-
I / r - 191E
13 w.

25 t y p . -

Load

1422
I
J
292
Moterial ~ASTM A572
Grode 50
Electrode: E 70xx
U T•B- U4c@1~~G.F [
lW~7[ 94
Full Penetration
Welds Are Flux
Cored Arc Weldin~

235

f 9~
i,
_ .. .i

! ,

~ 21 Holes For 19 d[o.

A307 Bolts

(a)

(b)
Fig. 5. Fully-welded connection 14-4. (a) The details for 14-4; (b) the over-all view for 14-4.
I(X) W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

1400 /" Vmp = 143].I kN

// (criticol section)

1200
/
_ //
IOOC
Z

800
a

0
l/
600

//
// t
400
iI

200

I I l I I I I
I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
BEAM DEFLECTION (A) crn

Fig. 6. Load-deflection curve for fully-welded connection 14-4.

Fig. 7. Connection 14-4 after testing.

 Static web m o m e n t connections 101

yielding in the assemblage. The testing was terminated when large beam
deflection and other deformations due to local buckling were observed. The
load started to fall off from its peak value due to out-of-plane deformation of
the beam compression flange and the vertical web connection plate. The
beam deflection at the end of testing was 3.22 in (82 mm). A photo showing
Connection 14-4 at the conclusion of the test is shown in Fig. 7.
During the test vertical cracks were noted in the area of the groove weld
connecting the tension flange to the flange moment plate in the region where
the flange widened to a width equal to the distance between the inside faces
of the column flanges. These cracks when first noticed were of a length equal
to ~ of the plate thicknesses and grew to a length equal to about :-',of the plate
thickness. These cracks also extended laterally across the flange for
approximately ~ in (13 mm) along the back-up bar adjacent to the beam
flange groove weld.
From the load-deflection (V-A) curve, it is concluded that this connection
possesses the necessary strength, ductility and stiffness required for a
m o m e n t connection in a plastically designed structure. A more detailed
discussion of this connection is given elsewhere. 81°
This fully-welded connection is considered to be adequately designed
because it has sufficient strength and ductility. It also exhibits a linear elastic
stiffness until local yielding and buckling occur in the subassemblage
element resulting in a reduction in stiffness. The maximum test load attained
is above the predicted plastic moment load if this load is evaluated at the
column centerline. Although cracks are observed at the weld of the tension
flange, no failure due to fracture is observed. Stiffening is not required for
this connection since the column web deformation is not significant.

6 B E H A V I O R AND TEST H I G H L I G H T S OF T H E
F L A N G E - W E L D E D WEB-BOLTED CONNECTIONS

In the full-scale test program, two connections were designed as flange-

welded web-bolted connections. They were designated as 14-1 and 14-2,
respectively. In these connections, beam shear is carried by high-strength
bolts rather than by welds as in Connection 14-4.
Connection 14-1 is shown in Fig. 8. The beam flanges were groove welded
to the flange m o m e n t plates which in turn were fillet welded to the column
flanges and web. A one-sided shear plate bolted with seven ~ in (22 mm)
diameter A490 bolts was used to resist beam shear. This shear plate was fillet
welded to both the column web and flange moment plates. Round holes ~ in
(1.6 ram) greater than the bolt diameter were used in the web plate and
beam web. The flange moment plates were ~ in (19 mm) thick which is the
102 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

.
25typ. ~- 19 Ip

25-~

[
i ~ - W14x246 ~ U . T .

Lood

J
L 1422

b 1130
f WZ7x94

114J MoterJol : ASTM A572

Grode 50
I
Electrode : E 70xx

Full Penetration
Welds Are Flux
Cored Arc Welding

I I e
I o
I
,,
F \~ ~ .°,-
~1~
~'1

For ~ ""~0 ~o,,.

N, 1 '~o~ '
(a)

(b)

Fig. 8. Flange-welded web-bolted connection 14-1. (a) The details for 14-l : (b) the overview
for 14-1.
 Static web m o m e n t connections 103

thickness of the beam flanges. The web shear plate is ~ in (13 mm) thick,
which is the beam web thickness. The critical section for this connection is at
the column flange approximately 8 in (203 mm) from the centerline of the
column web. Thus, the beam span is about 56 in (1-4 m) long.
Specimen 14-2 is shown in Fig. 9. The beam flanges were groove welded
directly to the column web. The beam web was connected to the column web
by means of two structural angles which are fillet welded to the beam web
and bolted to the column web by eight q in (19 mm) diameter A490 bolts.
The angles are 3~ in x 3½in x ~-in (89 mm x 89 mm x 9.5 mm) and the holes
are ~':~ in
" (21 mm) diameter. The critical section for this connection is at the
centerline of the column giving a beam span equal to the length of beam of
48 in (1.2 m).
The purpose of Test 14-1 was to examine the connection behavior when
beam flanges are welded to flange moment plates and beam web is bolted to
shear plate. The purpose of Test 14-2 was to examine connection behavior
when both the beam flanges and beam web are connected to the column web
directly by wdlding and bolting, respectively.
Figure 10 shows the load-deflection curve for Test 14-1. The connection
exhibits a linear elastic slope until at approximately 150 kips (667 kN) when
the effect of yielding causes a reduction in stiffness. The maximum test load
attained was 273 kips (1214 kN) when failure occurred. Failure of this
specimen was due to tearing of the entire width of the tension flange moment
plate in the region of the transverse groove weld as shown in Fig. 11. Failure
was instantaneous with no early warning of tearing prior to the last load
increment. Because of this instantaneous failure, the beam load dropped to
zero immediately at failure with no opportunity to trace the unloading curve
for the connection.
The load-deflection curve for Test 14-2 is shown in Fig. 12. The curve
shows a definite linear elastic slope up to a load of about 100 kips (445 kN).
Then a reduction in stiffness was observed when local yielding of the
assemblage elements occurs. Yielding and out-of-plane deformation of the
column web was the primary cause of the non-linear behavior of the V-A
curve. The maximum test load for this specimen is 205 kips (912 kN). The
failure of this specimen was indicated by two related events. First, at a beam
load of 195 kips (867 kN), the column web fractured on one side of the beam
tension flange where the beam was welded to the column web. The fracture
did not completely penetrate the column web but caused a redistribution of
stress in the beam tension flange. The fracture caused an increase in stress
(and strain) on the portion of the beam still intact with the column web.
Ultimate failure then occurred at a load of 205 kips (912 kN) when the
portion of weld still connecting the beam flange to the column web
fractured. Since failure was not instantaneous, the load did not drop
104 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

"' 21 Holes For 19 dio,.

A490 Bolts

h -_-'l_ . . . . t 57
r -~ ---~-- 57

~-w 94 £
Lood
U.T. ~-~

Material: ASTM A572

Grade 50
I ~ Electrode , E 70xx
I
I ~ Full Penetration Welds Are
J / . Flux Cored Arc Welding
I

I I
I •
I •

j - 2 z 3Vz x 3Yz x 3/o

~--~J.. B-U4cG.F/, .

~ "--- W14 x 246

(a)

(b)
Fig, 9, Flange-welded web-bolted connection 14-2. (a) The details for 14-2; (b) the overview
for 14-2.
 Static web moment connections 105

1400 f Vmp: 1431.1 kN

/
/ (criticol section]

1200
z
Vmp=1226.8 kN
///
(column w e b )

lOOO /
Z
iI
~P +V
~ 800
a

o III
.J
60O I II

W
m
40C III

i',',
200

I I I I I I I I
0 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
BEAM DEFLECTION (A) cm

Fig. 10. L o a d - d e f l e c t i o n curve for f l a n g e - w e l d e d w e b - b o l t e d c o n n e c t i o n 14-1.

g
¢ t"

Fig. 11. Fracture of connection 14-1.

106 W. F. Chen, E. M. L u i

/. . . .
1400 / Vmp = 1431.1 kN
/ / ( c r i t i c a l S e c t i o n (a.
/ / c o l u m n web)
1200 / /
/ /
/
Z I000
/
/
P÷V
I
o 800 iI J~,fJ
II I
0
_1 ',l
:~ 6 0 0
Ii
II
II
4OO
II I

200

1 J ,[ 1 l 1 I I
0 I 2 3 4 5 6 7
BEAM DEFLECTION (A) cm

Fig. 12. Load~leflection curve for flange-welded web-bolted connection 14-2.

off immediately, but no further loading was attempted. Figures 13 and 14

show respectively the fracture in the region of the beam flange-to-column
web groove weld and the extent of yielding and out-of-plane deformation of
the column web at the conclusion of testing. In Fig. 14 the beam tension
flange is in the lower part of the photograph.
A more thorough discussion of these flange-welded web-bolted con-
nections can be found elsewhere. 1.~,11
Based on the test results of these two connections, the following
conclusions can be made regarding the behavior of the connections:
1. For Connection 14-1, adequate elastic stiffness was obtained until
local yielding occurs which reduces the stiffness. The maximum load
reached was 99% of the predicted load if the critical section was taken
at the centerline of the column web. Although this connection gives
enough strength, fracture at the weld of the tension flange limits its
ductility. This fracture is due to stress concentration at the top of the
tension flange and may be remedied by changing the geometry of the
flange moment plate. This will be discussed in the future.
2. For Connection 14-2, significant yielding and out-of-plane deforma-
tion of the column web due to the beam flange force reduced the
stiffness of the connection even in the working load range. This out-of-
plane movement of the column web and the resultant reduction in
connection stiffness was particularly noticeable in Connection 14-2
 Static web moment connections 107

Fig. 13. Tearing at tension flange-column web junction of connection 14-2.

Fig. 14. Column web yielding of connection 14-2.

108 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

because the beam was attached only to the column web. Care must
therefore be taken if such connections are used in design. In order to
limit the column web deformation, column stiffening must be con-
sidered. Column stiffening may also be used in reducing stress con-
centration which causes the ultimate failure due to fracture.

7 B E H A V I O R AND TEST HIGHLIGHTS OF T H E

F U L L Y - B O L T E D CONNECTION

Figure 15 shows the joint details for this connection. The beam flanges were
bolted to the top and bottom moment plates by ten I-in. (25.4 mm) diameter
A490 high-strength bolts. The moment plates were fillet welded to the
column flanges and web. This connection was designed as a bearing-type
connection with a hole 1 &in (27 mm) in diameter. The beam shear was
transferred to a one-sided web shear plate by means of seven ~-in (22 mm)
diameter A490 high-strength bolts in ~ i n (24 mm) diameter holes. The web
shear plate was fillet welded to the column web and to the top and bottom
m o m e n t plates. The thickness of the web shear plate is ~ in (13 mm). The
critical section for this connection is taken as the outer row of flange bolts.
The beam span is thus 70 in (1.8 m).
The purpose of this test was to investigate the behavior of fully-bolted
connections and to examine how the behavior of Connection 14-1 is changed
when the beam flanges are bolted and not welded to the flange m o m e n t
plates.
The load-deflection curve for this specimen is shown in Fig. 16. Two
distinct linear slopes were observed in the elastic range. The first linear slope
extends up to a load of about 90 kips (400 kN), then followed by a shallower
second linear slope up to a load of approximately 200 kips (890 kN). The
occurrence of the second linear slope was due to slip of the bolts into the
bearing. This p h e n o m e n o n was also observed in fully-bolted flange m o m e n t
connections as described in the preceding paper. After this second linear
slope, the connection lost its stiffness gradually due to local yielding of the
assemblage elements. The load reached a value of approximately 300 kips
(1334 kN) when a tear developed in the tension flange connection plate (Fig.
17). No further loading was attempted and the connection was completely
unloaded.
From the V-A curve, it can be concluded that this connection is not proper
for plastically designed structures because of the significant reduction in
stiffness in the working load range due to bond slip and the inadequate
ductility due to fracture in the tension flange. For a more complete dis-
 Static web m o m e n t connections 1(79

2 4 Holes For 22 dio.

t ~-,- 2s t)~.J /--A49o ~ t ,
lsl-
,_r/:._ r.?:. . .

} ~'- 25 P 27 Holel For 25 dia.

A 4 9 0 Boltl

1778
26O j= 4 ~ 76= 304
4
CL
Lood
6 Finger

• : :: :,3"""
I i ' ~ •

Material : ASTM A572

Grade 50
Electrode : E 70xx
I I • n

• 713&

~.. 27 Hole, For 2~ d~o.

A490 Bolts
W14 x 246

(a)

(b)
Fig. 15. Fully bolted connection 14-3. (a) The details for 14-3; (b) the overview for 14-3.
I10 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lid

/-
1400
- -

/ Vmo =1431.1 kN
r

/ (outer bolt line)

1200
-- iii1
1000 - ,~__ ._. .... ~: -__/_
z

800 - / / ~P.v /
<
0
J

<I
an
600

400
/
200

# l I I l dl I I
I 2 3 4 5 6 7
BEAM D E F L E C T I O N (A) ¢m

Fig. 16. Load~leflection curve for fully bolted connection 14-3.

Fig. 17. Tearing of flange plate of connection 14-3.

 Static" web moment connections 111

cussion of this connection, the readers are referred to the paper by

Rentschler e t al.1 and Chen and Lui. s
Although this fully-bolted connection exhibits adequate strength, care
must be exercised in using such connections because the reduction in
stiffness in the working load range and inadequate rotational capacity are
very undesirable. Since the reduction in stiffness is due to bolt slippage and
inadequate ductility is due to premature fracture, it is felt that if the con-
nections are designed as friction-type rather than bearing-type together with
column stiffening, these shortcomings can be eliminated.

8 A N A L Y T I C A L PREDICTIONS OF V-A B E H A V I O R

In this section, three analytical schemes which one can use to predict the
behavior of web moment connections will be discussed. They are: (1) simple
plastic analysis, (2) yield line analysis and (3) finite element analysis.

8.1 Simple plastic analysis

The use of simple plastic analysis to predict the plastic limit load of the
connection assemblage shown in Fig. 1 is straightforward. If the plastic
hinge is formed in the beam, the plastic limit load is

PP - lb (1)

where Zxb is the plastic section modulus of the beam about the strong axis,
Fyb is the yield stress of the beam, lb is the length of beam measured from the
point of application of load to the location of the plastic hinge.
If plastic hinges are formed in the column (Points X and Y in Fig. 1), the
plastic limit load is
pp 2ZycFy¢
- t (2)

where Zyc is the plastic section modulus of the column about the weak axis
considering the effect of axial force, Fyc is the yield stress of the column, ! is
the length of beam measured from the point of application of load to the
centerline of the column. The plastic limit load of the connection as-
semblage is the smaller of the two calculated in eqns (1) and (2).

8.2 Prediction of elastic joint stiffness

Besides predicting the plastic limit load an analyst or a designer may be

interested in assessing the elastic stiffness of the connection assemblage.
112 W. F. ('hen, E. M. Lui

The stiffness of a connection is best described by its load-deflection

behavior. The overall load deflection behavior of the connection
assemblage shown in Fig. 1 can be predicted by considering that the
deflection is comprised of four components:
1. The deflection due to bending of the beam, Ab (Fig. 18(a))
2. The deflection due to beam shear deformation, A~ (Fig. 18(b))
3. The deflection due to joint rotation, Am(Fig. 18(c))
4. The deflection due to out-of-plane deformation of the column web, Aw
(Fig. 18(d)).
The total deflection A at the point of application of load V is therefore

A = A b q'- A s -'1- A4~ -'l- A w (3)

Generally speaking, there are two types of column web moment con-
nections distinguished by the method in which the beam flanges are attached
to the column. They are shown in Fig. 19. Type A has the beam flanges
attached to either the column flanges alone or a combination of the column
flanges and the column web by means of a flange connection plate. Type B
has the beam flanges attached directly to the column web alone.
The various deflection components for Type A and Type B connections
will be investigated as follows:
(1) Bending deformation Ab. The deflection A~ due to bending upon
application of the beam load V is given as

Vl 3
Ab - (4)
3El

where I is the length of beam measured from column flange tip for Type A
connection and from column web centerline for Type B connection, E is the
modulus of elasticity, I is the moment of inertia of beam. Note that Ab is
independent of the type of connection.
(2) Shear deformation A~. For a beam of length l, the shear deformation
can be written as

Vl
As - (5)
AwG

where Aw is the area of the web of the beam and G is the shear modulus. In
writing eqn (5), it has been assumed that the shear force is carried by the
beam web only and that beam web buckling does not occur.
(3) Deflection due to joint rotation. Referring to Fig. 18(c), a joint
rotation of the connection will cause a rigid body rotation of the beam.
 Static web m o m e n t connections I 13

iiII
IIII
||
IF-'
~r Ab
II
II
II
I II
(a)

IIII
i iiII
I, I ~ / - '

'il
I|
I'
(b)

(c)

L
A w

II T
(d)

Fig. 18. Deflection components of web moment connections.

114 W, F. Chen. E. M. Lui

( • ) Type A Web Connection

( b ) Type B Web Connection

Fig. 19. Web connection types.

Thus, if the joint rotates through an angle 0 (measured in radians), the

deflection at the far end of the beam is

A+ = Ol (6)

in which l is the length of the beam measured from the column web
centerline (for both Type A and Type B web connections).
The value of 0 is a function of the weak axis moment of inertia of the
column, m o m e n t applied by the beam to the column, length of the column
and end conditions of the column. It can be obtained from the analysis of a
structural system using computer techniques or by conventional techniques
such as m o m e n t distribution or slope deflection.
(4) Deflection due to out-of-plane deformation of column web Aw. For
Type A web connection, this deflection component is small because of the
flange connection plate attachment to the column flanges which have high
in-plane bending stiffnesses. The magnitude of this deflection component is
a function of beam depth, flange plate and stiffener thickness, and to a
smaller degree, column web thickness.
The computation of this deflection component is very hard to arrive at
 Static web moment connections 115

from a rigorous theoretical formulation of connection parameters because

of the complex geometry of the connection and the non-uniform stress
distributions in the flange connection plate at or near the column web. In an
attempt to obtain a rational prediction of this column web displacement,
simplified models together with assumptions are utilized in the following
discussion.
To facilitate modeling and discussion, this Type A web connection is
subdivided into three cases.
(i) Case 1--the flange connection plate is welded to both the column web
and flanges and a stiffener is provided opposite the flange con-
nection plate.
(ii) Case 2--same as Case 1 except that no stiffener is provided.
(iii) Case 3---the flange connection plate is welded to the column flanges
only and no stiffener is provided.
(i) Case 1 modeling. The model for Type A--Case 1 web connection is
shown in Fig. 20. The column stiffener is modeled as a fixed-ended beam
acted upon by a percentage of the beam flange force in the form of a
uniformly distributed load. The uniform load wm acting on this fictitious
beam is given by II

W m = ( 0 " 5 0 -- 0 " 2 0 0 / ) W (7)

in which a is the ratio of the width of beam flange to the clear distance
between column flanges, w is the total uniform load from the beam flange
force. This can be calculated from the beam bending m o m e n t at the column
web divided by the center-to-center distance between beam flanges and then
divided by the clear distance between column flanges.
The deflection due to this uniform load Wmis composed of two values, the
shear deflection 8ws and the bending deflection &~. The shear deflection is

GA
(s)

where Vomis (Wmlc)/2, lc is the clear distance between column flanges, G is

shear modulus, A is bc tc, b~,t~ are depth and thickness of the stiffener (see
Fig. 20).
The bending deflection is

Wm/4
8, b- 384E--------I (9)
116 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

IC

thickness - tc

/
.~ ,i[ bC

Y1
LI
l Ic

Wm
Loading

V°m[ ~ ~ V o m Shear

Moment

Fig. 20. SchematicrepresentationofflangeconnectionplateforTypeACase lconnections.

where Wmis that fraction of uniform load from the beam flange that goes to
the stiffener as defined in eqn (7). lc is the clear distance between column
flanges, E is the modulus of elasticity of flange connection plate, I is ,4, (6 b~.
(ii) Case 2 modeling. The model for Type A - - C a s e 2 is shown in Fig. 21.
This model is similar to the Case 1 model except now the flange connection
plate rather than the stiffener is modeled as the fixed-ended beam. The
uniform load acting on the fictitious beam is taken as 90% of w since the load
that is transferred to the column flanges was shown by Rentschler tl to be
about at least 90% of the total load from the beam flange force. Thus, the
 Static web moment connections 117

Ic

thickness - tc II/~-fJ

/
/
,//

r
\ I_
J-
Ic
-I
_1

Loading

V°~ V° Shear

Moment
Fig. 21. Schematic representation of flange connection plate for Type A Case 2 connections.

components of deflections due to shear and bending can be calculated by

eqns (8) and (9) respectively with w~ replaced by 0.90 w.
(iii) Case 3 modeling. The flange plate deformation due to force in the
flange connection plate for Type A--Case 3 connection is shown in Fig. 22.
As in Case 2, the flange connection plate is modeled as a fixed-ended beam.
However, in this case, all the beam flange force will be transferred to the
column flanges. So, in calculating the shear and bending deformations, the
total uniform load w from the beam flange force is used in eqns (8) and (9).
Upon comparison of column web deflections calculated using the above
approach and those from a finite element analysis, it was shown n that the
error is a function of t~. For large a, the theoretical approach overestimates
118 W. F. Ctlen. E. M. Lui

, [
I
I
I
Ic
I
/
/
I thickness = t c

(a)

[
\\

(b)

Fig. 22. Flange plate deformation due to force in flange connection plate for Type A Case 3
connections.

the deflections whereas for small c~, this approach underestimates the
deflections. This is due to the assumption of uniform stress distribution for
the beam flange force at the column web while in actuality, the stress is
highly non-uniform.
For Type B web connection in which the beam flange is welded to the
column web only, the column web alone has to carry the beam flange force if
no stiffener is present. Because of the low out-of-plane stiffness of the web,
large deformation of the column web will result. This deformation is par-
ticularly significant if the column web is thin. In order to reduce this
deformation, a stiffener has to be provided opposite the beam flange. In the
following discussion, a procedure which can be used to compute the column
 ";tatic web moment connections 119

web deflection for this type of connection (Type B) with stiffeners will be
shown.
The three assumptions used in the procedure are:
(a) The stiffener is assumed to be a beam fixed at both ends and loaded by
the beam flange force.
(b) The points where the stiffener is attached to the column flanges do
not rotate and displace.
(c) The stress distribution in the beam flange at the column web is
assumed to be uniform. And, as a further idealization, the uniform
load is replaced by two concentrated loads placed at the quarter
points of the loaded portion of the beam (Fig. 23).
With these assumptions, the column web deflection can be calculated by
superimposing the two deflection components: the deflection due to shear
8w~and the deflection due to bending &~b.
The shear deflection is given as:

= GA (lO)

where V0 is total applied load from beam flange, lsh is shear span length
(Fig. 23), G is shear modulus, A = b~t~ where b~, t~ are depth and thickness
of the stiffener (see Fig. 23).
The deflection due to bending of the stiffener is computed from:

8wb V0 ls2
12 Etls
( 1.5als- ,,sh)
--2--
( 11 )

where V0 is total applied load from beam flange, l~h is shear span length, l~ is
span length, a is l~ - l~h,I is ~ (ts b3), E is modulus of elasticity of the stiffener.
The deflections computed using the above procedure was compared to the
finite element solution" and was shown that the procedure overpredicts the
deflection for columns with thick webs and underpredicts the deflection for
columns with thin webs. This is due to the assumptions made and the model
used in the procedure to make the problem tractable.
Recall that column web deflection is only one of the four components that
contributes to the total beam deflection, error that may result from the
computation of this component will not affect the overall result significantly.
Rentschler" has shown that although the accuracy of this deflection com-
ponent is in error in some cases, the technique described above provides a
sufficiently accurate prediction which yields a good prediction of the overall
deflection.
120 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

I6

thickness -t s

L- Lo,o

I I ] i ~ S.E^.
2

I'~ /A MOMENT

Fig. 23. Schematic representation of Type B stiffener used for column web deflection
calculations.

A comparison between the theoretical predicted strength of the con-

nections using simple plastic theory and tests are shown in Figs 6, 10, 12 and
16 for Connections 14-4, 14-1, 14-2 and 14-3, respectively. In these figures,
the symbol Vmpdesignates the beam shear required to cause the formation of
plastic hinges in the subassemblage. For Connections 14-4, 14-1 and 14-3,
two values of Vmp are shown. The larger Vmp corresponds to the shear
required to produce plastic moment at the critical section and the smaller Vmp
 Static web m o m e n t connections 121

corresponds to the shear required to produce plastic m o m e n t at the column

web. The critical section for Connections 14-1 and 14-4 is at the juncture of
the beam flange and the flange connection plates. The critical section for
Connection 14-3 is at the outer row of flange bolts. The critical section for
Connection 14-2 is at the column web. As a result, there is only one Vmp
value for Connection 14-2.
As can be seen from the figures, unless fracture occurs as in the case for
Connections 14-1 and 14-2, Vmpevaluated based on the assumption that the
formation of plastic hinge is at the column web gives a lower bound to the
strength of the connections.
Also shown in these figures are the elastic stiffness of the connections
evaluated using the four displacement components of eqn (3) and the
measured rotation at the top of the column. For Connection 14-4, it can be
seen that the theoretically predicted stiffness gives a reasonable rep-
resentation of the actual stiffness of the connection. The slight deviation of
the test curve from the theoretical curve is due to items such as local yielding
of the column web and beam flanges, loss of column stiffness due to axial
load and the effect of column shear deformation.
For Connection 14-1, a good correlation between the theoretically pre-
dicted stiffness and test results is observed in the linear elastic range.
However, for Connection 14-2, a noticeable deviation of the test curve from
the predicted stiffness is observed. This is attributed to the significant
deformation of the column web which was not considered in the theoretical
predictions. By taking into account the effect of column web deformation
measured during the test, a shallower slope was constructed. It is seen that
good correlation is obtained between the predicted stiffness and the test
curve in the linear elastic range.
For Connection 14-3, Fig. 16 shows that the predicted stiffness compares
well with the test curve before any bolt slippage occurs. The second
shallower slope of the test curve is due to bolt slippage and is not predicted
by the analysis outline earlier.

8.3 Yield line analysis

The yield line analysis is an energy approach to structural problems. By

assuming that all the external work done on a system is dissipated as internal
work in the formation of a yield line mechanism in the system, an upper
bound solution to the actual collapse or limit load that would produce the
actual failure mechanism can be obtained. The yield line approach has
been used previously by Abolitz and Warner ~4 for brackets welded to
column webs, by Blodgett ~5 for welding rolled section to box columns, by
StockwelP 6 for column webs with welded beam connections and by Kapp 17
for web connection in direct tension.
122 W. F. ('hen, E. M. Lui

In predicting the load corresponding to the formation of a mechanism in

the column web, the following assumptions are made:
(a) The prescribed mechanism is as shown in Fig. 24.
(b) All lines in the assumed yield line pattern are stressed to Fy, the yield
strength of the column material.
(c) The web surface enclosed by lines (1) and (2) remains planar.
(d) The yield line hinge rotations are small.
(e) The effect of shear on yielding of material is negligible.
With the above assumptions in mind, the expression for internal work along
the yield lines can be written as:

W, = --~-- -(~ + --~ t+ + 2a ] T

where b is width of flange plate, d is distance between flanges, a is one-half of

the value of the distance between column fillets minus flange width, t is
thickness of column web, ~ is deflection under the flange plate.
The expression for external work is
W~ = 2Pyl~ (13)
where Pyl is force in one flange required to cause theyield line mechanism.
Equating eqn (12) with eqn (13) and canceling A, the force Pyl can be
written as

P" = a ~+--~- t+ +~a (14)

For a given combination of beam and column with specified yield stress,
all variables in the right-hand side of eqn (14) are known, Py~ can therefore
be determined easily.
The use of the yield line analysis to predict the failure load is particularly
suitable for web m o m e n t connections for which the beam flanges are con-
nected to the web of the column alone with no backup stiffeners. It has been
demonstrated in the pilot test program by Chen and Rentschler 9 that the
failure load evaluated using the yield line theory correlates well with the
experiments.

8.4 Finite element analysis

The use of finite element method to analyze web moment connections has
been reported by Rentschler, u and Patel and Chen. ~s
Rentschle? ~gave a detailed discussion of a finite element approach to the
analysis of web m o m e n t connections. The program used was SAP IV. This is
 Static web moment connections 123

Z
t = Web Thickness I
t ~ T

6t

d/2 ,l ®

d/t

6t
J ®

Fig. 24. C o l u m n w e b yield line m e c h a n i s m .

a general-purpose finite element program for use in static or dynamic

analysis of elastic structures. The two elements that were used extensively in
the analyses are the quadrilateral flat plate bending element and the
quadrilateral plane stress element. In addition to these two elements, beam
bending elements are used to transfer forces into the connections in regions
far from the detail under consideration. Stiff linear spring elements are used
to introduce displacements into the structural models. Two types of web
m o m e n t connections: Type A and Type B (Fig. 19) were analyzed
separately.

Finite element analysis of Type A web

Based on the finite element analyses, H the following conclusions that
pertain to Type A web connections can be drawn:
124 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

(1) The stress distribution in the flange connection plate at the transition
with the beam flange is highly non-uniform. The stress is the highest
at the edges and the lowest at the center of the plate.
(2) The stress non-uniformity decreases when column stiffening is
provided.
(3) Stress concentrations increase as a increases where o~is the ratio of
the width of beam flange to the clear distance between column
flanges.
(4) An increase in column stiffener thickness reduces the magnitude of
stress concentrations in the flange connection plate. (In practice, a
thicker stiffener plate is often used to facilitate welding.)
(5) For connections with large a (e.g. >0.6), a reduction in stress
concentration will result if the flange connection plate is extended
past the column flange tip.
(6) For Case 1 web connection, 55-75% of the beam flange force enters
the column flanges through the connection plate (Fig. 20). For Case
2 the percentage is 89-97 (Fig. 21) and for Case 3,100% of the flange
connection plate force goes directly to the column flanges (Fig. 22).
(7) The horizontal shear stress distribution along the junction of the
column flanges and the flange connection plate is not uniform. The
peak varies from the column flange tip to the junction of the column
flange and the column web as a decreases.
(8) Extending the flange plate does not reduce the peak shear stress in
the flange connection plate significantly, but it levels out the dis-
tribution by attracting more of the beam flange force to the column
flange. This effect is more pronounced for connections with smaller
o~values than for those with larger a values.
(9) An increase in column stiffener thickness will reduce the amount of
beam flange force from the flange connection plate entering the
column flanges as shear.
(10) An increase in column stiffener thickness tends uniformly to
increase the amount of beam flange force going to the column web.
Finite element analysis of Type B web connections
The results of the finite element studies on Type B web connections are
summarized as follows:
(1) For a constant column web thickness and a constant flange plate
force, the deflection of the column web decreases as the tension flange
width increases for connections without stiffening.
(2) The stress in the beam flange where it joins the column web is highly
non-uniform.
(3) The stress concentrations in the beam flange at the column web are
 Static web moment connections 125

greater for a column with a smaller web thickness for connections

with the same a value and with no stiffening. For columns with the
same web thickness, the stress concentration is greater for con-
nections with larger a values.
(4) For column with stiffening, the stress concentration increases with
decreasing web thickness, regardless of o~. For constant web
thickness, the stress concentration increases with increasing o~.
(5) The use of column stiffening can reduce column web deflection and
alleviate the shear punch problem. (Tearing of the column web by the
action of the tensile or compressive beam flange force.)
Non-linearfinite element analysis. The discussion so far has been centered on
a linear elastic analysis of web moment connections. A non-linear analysis
using NONSAP was reported by Patel and Chen ~8and will be discussed in
the following.
The main purpose of this non-linear analysis is to investigate the stress
distributions in the flange connection plate in the regions near the column

C/1//1/lll/ll D

Flee or p. ~
Pertly fixed 2

C~/~ ~ ~f ~ ~' ~ ~'~t~ D

2 3 3 nodes
208 elements
2,
B I
I

Fixed, ] I I III

',x.°- i i f "!~.AJ~A I I I IIII

i J I I \/~-~/ I I I IIII I

Fig. 25. Typical free body and finite element mesh for flange connection plate and beam
flange.
126 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

web and column flange tip as well as at the junction of flange connection
plate and beam flange. The flange connection plate was isolated by means of
a suitable free-body to make a convenient finite element model. Plane stress
isoparametric finite elements were used. The structural model and mesh
layout is shown in Fig. 25. Due to symmetry, only half of the plate was
modeled. Only welded connections are examined but the junction at the
flange connection plate and the column web can be modeled as fully-
welded, partially-welded or no weld.
Besides investigating stress distributions, the fracture behavior of the
flange connection plate was examined. Here, the von Mises yield criterion
was used to describe the initial yielding of the material and the maximum
shear stress criterion was used to describe fracture.
Seven hypothetical connection assemblages comprising of actual wide
flange beams and columns were considered. As far as loading is concerned,
the beam flange was loaded in a tensile manner. The load was applied at the
end of a beam flange at nodal points sufficiently far from the junction of
beam flange and flange connection plate to cause a uniform tensile stress in
the beam flange.
The most important finding of this analysis is that welding the flange
connection plate all around the column web and flanges is not necessary.
Partial welding with welds joint about 30--40% of the width of the flange
connection plate and column web near the center is sufficient to provide the
necessary strength. Although the stiffness of the connection is reduced
somewhat, the effect is not significant for most connections.

9 S U M M A R Y , CONCLUSIONS AND
DESIGN R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S
Test results of the four full-scale specimens have been discussed in the
previous sections. As far as strength is concerned, Connections 14-1, 14-3
and 14-4 all achieved load levels beyond the plastic m o m e n t load if the
critical section is taken at the centerline of the column web. The use of
column web centerline as critical section rather than the true critical section
is acceptable since most design and analysis of beams use span lengths from
center to center of columns. Connection 14-2 attains only 65% of the plastic
limit load and shows a significant reduction in stiffness in the working load
range due to out-of-plane deformation of the column web. This out-of-plane
deformation can be reduced if the following measures are taken: (1) use a
wider m o m e n t plate and weld it to the column flanges so that both the
column flanges and web can take part in carrying the beam bending forces;
or (2) use a back-up stiffener on the other side of the column to increase the
stiffness of the column web. The use of a back-up stiffener can also help to
 Static web moment connections 127

alleviate stress concentration at the tension flange tip that brings about
failure by fracture of the column web.
With regard to stiffness, Connections 14-1 and 14-4 both give satisfactory
results. Connection 14-2 gives inadequate stiffness due to severe column
web deformation; the remedy for this has been given in the above para-
graph.
Connection 14-3 exhibits two linear elastic slopes prior to the start of local
connection yielding. The second shallower elastic slope is due to minor slips
of the bolted flange plates into bearing. If a designer considers that this
decrease in stiffness in the working load range is undesirable, he can remedy
this by designing the connection as a friction-type rather than a bearing-
type. Experiment on flange moment connection (Test C8 described in the
preceding article) has shown that such friction-type connections give
adequate stiffness for most practical purposes.
Besides strength and stiffness, another important ingredient that a
m o m e n t connection must have is ductility or rotation capacity at plastic limit
load. Other than the Control Test 14-4, all the other connections failed
prematurely by fracture at or near the plastic limit load. The lack of
deformation capacity at the maximum or ultimate load for these connections
is considered unsatisfactory. This is because redistribution of moments
which is very important in plastic design and in seismic-resistant design is not
possible if the connection does not exhibit enough ductility. With regard to
this, the rest of this section will be devoted to the discussion of methods to
prevent such premature fracture failure.
Before proceeding to the discussion of remedies to the problem, it is of
utmost importance to investigate the cause of the problem. Here, the
question asked is why the fracture occurred?
Figure 26 shows the stress distributions at three sections of a typical web
m o m e n t connection in which the beam flanges are welded to a m o m e n t plate
which in turn are welded to the column web and inside of the column
flanges. The stress distribution across the width of the moment plate in
Section A-A is shown in Fig. 26(a). Note that the stresses at the region of the
column flange tips are much higher than the stresses away from the tips. This
non-uniform stress distribution is attributed to the fact that lesser restraint is
imposed on the part of the moment plate away from the column flanges. In
other words, the part of the moment plate which is not attached to the
column flanges is more flexible. Hence, the stresses are lower. The part of
the m o m e n t plate that is attached directly to the column flanges by welding
has more restraint, so the stresses are much higher. The phenomenon in
which stress tends to migrate to region of higher stiffness is referred to
as the shear lag effect. Another reason for the non-uniformity is that no
back-up stiffener is used. The result is that the welds to the column web are
128 W. F, Chen. E. M. Lui

A
I
I C
"1. . . .
I
I
I

,I ,,

I
IA
Nominal Elastic
Applied Stress

(a) (b)

(c)

Fig. 26. Stress distribution: (a) longitudinal stresses on Section A-A; (b) longitudinal
stresses on Section B-B; (c) shear stresses on Section C-C.

not fully effective near its center. At some distance away from the beam
flange to m o m e n t plate juncture (Section B-B) a uniform longitudinal stress
distribution across the width of the beam flange is observed (Fig. 26(b)).
The longitudinal stresses in the moment plate introduce strains in the
transverse and through-thickness direction because of the Poisson effect.
Since the m o m e n t plate is attached to the column flanges, restraint is
introduced and this causes tensile stresses in the transverse and through-
thickness direction. As a result of this, triaxial tensile stresses are present
along Section A - A , and they are at their maximum values at the inter-
sections of Section A - A and C-C (Fig. 26). If this triaxial state of tensile
stresses is sufficiently high, fracture will occur. This probably explains why
Connections 14-1 and 14-3 failed prematurely before enough ductility was
obtained.
 Static web moment connections 129

(a) ~ I . Use Thicker Plate

t

I\ \\ \ \\\\\\I

l\\\\x\ \\\I

(c)
I\\

| \ \ \
\ \\

.~~:~
I..F=
\',\\',I

=:
...... t Extended
Connection Plate

INNN\NNN\ \ \1

(d) ~=:=f.~___.r~ .7.= : = = ___= ~ Tapered

Connection Plate

r~ \ \ \

I \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \1

Extended
(e) end Filleted
Connection Plates

Fig. 27. Possible approaches, for use individually or in combination, for improving
performance of tension flangeconnections to column web. 19

To preclude such failure and to improve ductile action, the following

suggestions were given by Driscoll and Beedle. 19
(1) Use oversized m o m e n t plates (Fig. 27(a)) to reduce the non-
uniformity of tensile stresses across the plate.
(2) Use a back-up stiffener (Fig. 27(b)). Limited finite element analyses '1
indicate that the stress concentration at the flange tip is reduced by at
least one-third when such a back-up stiffener plate is used.
(3) Use an extended connection plate so as to move beam flange butt
welds away from the welds to the column flanges to avoid intersecting
welds and associated residual stresses (Fig. 27(c)).
(4) Use a tapered plate to decrease the stress concentration at the critical
section (Fig. 27(d)).
130 W. F. Chen, E. M. Lui

(5) Provide a reduced width in the m o m e n t plate between the connection

to the beam flange and the connection to the column flanges at some
distance away from both connections (Fig. 27(e)).
The above suggested connection geometries should be examined in more
detail. The results of these additional tests will undoubtedly aid the designer
in improving connection performance, especially the rotation capacity of
such web m o m e n t connections.

REFERENCES

1. Rentschler, G. P., Chen, W. F. & Driscoll, G. C., Tests of beam-to-column

web moment connections, Journal of the Structural Division 106(ST5) Proc.
Paper No. 15386 (1980) 1005-22.
2. Graham, J. D., Sherbourne, A. M., Khabbaz, R. N. & Jensen, C. D., Welded
interior beam-to-column connections, AISC Publication A.I.A. File No. 13-C,
1959.
3. Popov, E. P. & Pinkney, R. B., Cyclic yield reversal in steel building
connections, Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Proc. Paper No. 6441,
95(ST3) (1969) 327-53.
4. Kajima Construction Company, Load test of beam-to-column connections of
steel frames for Nusautaura building, Part I, Part II and Part III, D jakarta,
1964.
5. Kato, B., Design criteria of beam-to-column joint panels, New Zealand
Natural Society for Earthquake Engineering Bulletin, 7(1) (1974).
6. Rentschler, G. P. & C h e n , W. F., Test program of moment-resistant steel
beam-to-column web connections, Fritz Engineering Laboratory Report No.
405.4, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, May 1975.
7. Chen, W. F. & Lui, E. M., Steel beam-to-column moment connections,
Part I: flange moment connections, Solid Mechanics Archives, 11(4) (1986)
1-61.
8. Chen, W. F. & Lui, E. M., Steel beam-to-column moment connections, Part
II: web moment connections, Solid Mechanics Archives, 12(1) (1987).
9. Chen, W. F. & Rentschler, G. P., Tests and analysis of beam-to-column web
connections, Proceedings of the ASCE Specialty Conference on Method of
Structural Analysis held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, August
22-25, 1976, pp. 957-76.
10. Rentschler, G. P., Chen, W. F. & Driscoll, G. C., Beam-to-column web
connection details, Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Proc. Paper No.
16880, 108(ST2) (1982) 393--409.
11. Rentschler, G. P., Analysis and Design of Steel Beam-to-Column Web
Connections, Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Civil Engineering, Lehigh
University, Bethlehem, PA, 1979.
12. AISC Manual of Steel Construction, Specification for the Design, Fabrication
and Erection of Structural Steel for Buildings, 7th Edition, American Institute
of Steel Construction, New York, 1970.
13. AWS D1.0-69, Code for Welding in Building Construction, 9th Edition,
American Welding Society, New York, 1969.
 Static web moment connections 131

14. Abolitz, A. L. & Warner, M. E., Bending under seated connections, AISC
Engineering Journal, 2(1) (1965) 1-5.
15. Blodgett, O. W., Design of Welded Structures, James F. Lincoln Arc Welding
Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, 1966, p. 3.6-6.
16. Stockwell, F. W., Jr, Yield line analysis of column webs with welded beam
connections, AISC Engineering Journal, 11(1) (1974) 12-17.
17. Kapp, R., Yield line analysis of a web connection in direct tension, AISC
Engineering Journal 11(2) (1974) 38--41.
18. Patel, K. V. & Chen, W. F., Nonlinear analysis of steel moment connections,
Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, 110(8)(1984) 1861-74.
19. Driscoll, G. C. & Beedle, L. S., Suggestions for avoiding beam-to-column web
connection failure, A ISC Engineering Journal 19(1) (1982) 16-19.