International Journal of Steel Structures 15(4): 827-834 (2015)

DOI 10.1007/s13296-015-1205-7
ISSN 1598-2351 (Print)
ISSN 2093-6311 (Online)

www.springer.com/journal/13296

The Effect of Stiffener on Behavior of Reduced Beam Section

Connections in Steel Moment-Resisting Frames
M. Tahamouli Roudsari1,*, F. Abdollahi2, H. Salimi2, S. Azizi2, and A. R. Khosravi3
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
2
M Sc. Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
3
M Sc. Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Dezful Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dezful, Iran

Abstract

Reduced Beam Section (RBS) connections are a new type of connection which have been used in steel moment-resisting
frames since the 1994 Northridge earthquake. This study is primarily aimed at analyzing the effects of suitable web stiffeners
on preventing the deterioration effect of the hysteresis curve for RBS connections. Results of more than 183 nonlinear finite
element analyses on different IPE sections with radius cut, straight cut, and drilled-flange RBS connection showed that different
web stiffeners considerably contribute to the enhancement of seismic performance of RBS connections. In this research, the
effects of factors such as the geometry and the number of the stiffeners, the distance between the stiffener and column side,
and the length and thickness of the stiffener on the seismic performance of RBS connections were also studied.

Keywords: stiffener, RBS connections, steel moment-resisting frame, lateral torsional buckling, web buckling

1. Introduction and weakening the beam in the vicinity of the connections.

Moment-resisting frame connections are designed to
resist shear force and bending moment, create plastic
hinges, and dissipate the energy of earthquakes in cyclic
motions. Before the 1994 Northridge earthquake, steel
moment-resisting frames specifically designed for seismic
zones were commonly used in the United States. By then,
using the beam-column connection through groove welding
was highly prevalent as they were thought of as the type
of connection that can bear high degrees of plastic
deformation. However, in the Northridge and Kobe
earthquakes, researchers observed the spread of brittle
cracks and fractures in the connections (Chi et al., 1998;
Righiniotis and Imam, 2004). Therefore, it was perceived
that the assumption was flawed and hence the trust in
most typical connections incorporated into moment-
resisting frames was lost considerably.
In order to enhance the performance of moment-
resisting frames in powerful earthquakes, the following
two methods were proposed: reinforcing the connections
Received December 16, 2014; accepted May 28, 2015;
published online December 31, 2015
© KSSC and Springer 2015
*Corresponding author
Tel: +989183591051, Fax: +988337237470
E-mail: tahamouli@iauksh.ac.ir
The second method leads to the formation of plastic joints
outside of the connection and a decrease in the demand
for force and moment at the junction. This method led to
the development of a new type of connection known as
the Reduced Beam Section (RBS) connection. Notwithstanding
their major advantages, there are also disadvantages to
RBS connections such as increased concentration of stress
on the site of reduced beam section, slight structural
lateral strength and stiffness decrease, and an increased
possibility of local buckling on the web and also a higher
chance of lateral torsional buckling. Recently, numerous
studies have addressed RBS connections. Some of these
studies are referred to in the following.
In 2009 Ohsaki et al. studied the effect of cutting shape
on the hysteresis behavior of the reduced section. They
calculated the optimal shape of radius cut based on the
maximum possible amount of energy dissipation in a
cantilever beam. Using the ABAQUS software, they drew
a comparison between the results of calculations and
experimental results. Pachoumis et al. (2009, 2010),
conducted studies on RBS connections and their hysteresis
behavior. They confirmed appropriate behavior of these
connections based on the results of numerical and
experimental tests. They also suggested that the criteria
presented in AISC was unsuitable for the dimensions and
distances of cuts in RBS connections that have been made
of European built sections and called for modifying the
828 M. Tahamouli Roudsari et al. / International Journal of Steel Structures, 15(4), 827-834, 2015
said criteria. Mirghaderi et al., 2010, carried out a study
on the issue of web buckling in RBS connections and
proposed an accordion-web connection. They also indicated
the relative efficiency of these joints through tests and
numerical modeling. It is worth mentioning that the joint
proposed by Mirghaderi et al., 2010, is effective but hard-
to-implement. Naghipour et al., 2011, assessed the ductility
of eccentrically-braced frames with RBS connections.
They employed a link beam in the adjacency of the
column to model three 4, 7 and 10 story frames. They
finally confirmed the behavior of these frames.
In 2012, Maleki and Tabbakhha proposed simultaneous
use of reduced sections and the slotted web. They
presented the hysteresis curve for these connections based
on several numerical models. Han et al., 2012, investigated
the rotational capacity of beam with reduced section
connections using bolted joints in the web. Through testing
and numerical modeling, these researchers concluded that
AISC criteria did not ensure the ductile behavior of these
connections and that the criteria needed corrections. In
2013 Deylami and Moslehi tabar considered the improvement
of the performance of RBS connections by adding plates
to webs. They embedded pins and slots in a plate and
connected them to a web to delay the buckling of the
web. They also used results of experimental tests and
numerical modeling performed by ANSYS.
According to FEMA, RBS connections designed in
accordance with life safety requirements must bear a drift
of 0.03 radians. For collapse prevention purposes, this
value reaches 0.045 radians (FEMA, 2000). The hysteresis
curve for typical RBS connections suggests that these
connections demonstrate a decline with a drift of about
0.03 radians and from that point on, the curve drops
abruptly. Increased quality of RBS connections under
Figure 1. Samples studied by Ohsaki et al. (2009).
Table 1. Beam section geometrical specifications and materials specifications in all three cases (Ohsaki et al., 2009)
Width Thickness
Beam
(mm) (mm)
Flange 150 9 365
Web 300 6.5
seismic loads requires an increase in the area beneath the
hysteresis curve. With such an increase, not only is the
initial rigidity of the connection saved, but also the level
of dissipation of earthquake energy increases in cyclic
motions. The main objective of this study was to enhance
the seismic performance of RBS connections. It was also
an attempt to minimize the aforementioned disadvantages
by using different types of cost effective and easy-to-
apply stiffeners.
Stiffeners must both prevent hysteretic deterioration
and increase the bending strength of beams so that the
formation of the plastic joint outside of the connection is
ensured. To this end, after validating the numerical model,
the effect of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal stiffeners
on the behavior of RBS connections was analyzed using
183 different models and the finite element method.
Results indicated that the use of stiffeners on RBS
sections made of IPEs with different radii, fixed, and
drilled cuts is easy and leads to a significant improvement
of the hysteresis curve of the connection.
2. Numerical Model Validation
The numerical model for this research was verified
based on the experimental study by Ohsaki et al. (2009).
They exerted vertical displacement on the end of a 1.218
m long cantilever beam made of the IPE300 section.
They experimentally obtained the force-rotation curve for
the connection. In addition, they made two RBSs with
different cut dimensions out of the same section (IPE300)
and plotted the corresponding hysteresis curves. In addition
to their experimental work, they prepared numerical models
of the three specimens. Fig. 1 shows the aforementioned
three beams while Table 1 shows the dimensions of the
Yield stress Young’s modulus
Poisson Ratio
(N/mm2) (N/m2)
0.3 2.05e+11
393 0.3 2.05e+11
 The Effect of Stiffener on Behavior of Reduced Beam Section Connections in Steel Moment-Resisting Frames 829

beam’s flange and web as well as the materials’ specifi-
cations.
The finite element model developed by Ohsaki et al.
(2009), was re-built by shell elements, and the stress-
strain curves for the beam flange and web were assigned.
Cyclic displacement was applied to the beam’s end and
the other steps were also taken according to (Ohsaki et
al., 2009). In the numerical model, the material hardening
was chosen based upon the combined rule (a combination
of isotropic and kinematic rules). Figure 2 shows the
results of the comparison between the force-rotation
curves obtained from the present numerical model and
the results obtained by Ohsaki et al. (2009). The bold
lines show the results of the finite element model for this
research while dashed lines show the results of the work
carried out by Ohsaki et al. (2009). As it can be seen in
this figure, the difference between the curves for the three
samples is insignificant and thus, the numerical results
are highly precise and reliable.

3. Deterioration in the RBS Connection

Behavior
As mentioned, RBS connections experience a decline
in hysteresis behavior from 0.03 to 0.04 radian rotations.
The reduction in the width of beam’s flange leads to a
decrease in the section’s resistance to lateral torsional
buckling. Consequently, the possibility of local buckling
on the web escalates. In order to gain a better understanding
of the reduction behavior of such connections, a sample
reduced beam with IPE300 section was modeled and
exposed to a cyclic load of about 0.1 radians. The
behavior of the flange and web materials was determined
based on (Ohsaki et al., 2009). Table 2 shows the full
specifications of the selected section as well as dimensions
of the cut in the RBS connection. In this table, tf , tw , bf ,
and d denote the thickness of the beam’s flange, web
thickness, flange width, and beam height, respectively. In
addition, the parameters a, b, c, and R are also shown on
Fig. 3. The AISC standard for selecting the parameters a,
b and c is expressed in equation (1), and values presented
in Table 2 were obtained using this equation.

Figure 2. Comparison of the force-rotation curves for the

research numerical model and the results presented by Figure 3. Parameters a, b, c and R according to the AISC
Ohsaki et al. (2009), for samples (a), (b) and (c). standard.

Table 2. RBS geometrical specifications

Beam (mm) a b c R tf tw bf d
IPE300 80 200 32 172.25 10.7 7.1 150 300
830 M. Tahamouli Roudsari et al. / International Journal of Steel Structures, 15(4), 827-834, 2015
Figure 4. Beam modeled by finite element method along
with its meshing.
Figure 5. Cyclic displacement applied to the end of beam
according to AISC.
0.5bf ≤a ≤0.75bf
0.65d ≤b ≤0.85d (1)
0.1bf ≤c ≤0.25bf
One end of the beam was assumed to be restrained
while the other end was exposed to cyclic displacement
according to the AISC seismic regulations loading protocol
(AISC, 2005). Figures 4 and 5 show the modeled beam
along with the loading history. Finally, the force-rotation
hysteresis curve was also obtained (Fig. 6). Evidently, the
reduction in the curve starts from 0.03 to 0.04 radians,
and the area below the curve is constantly reduced. Although
no changes occur in the stiffness of the connection, the
ultimate strength reduction caused by the increased loading
cycles (i.e. reduced energy dissipation as a result of the
deterioration of the hysteresis curve) leaves a negative
effect on the overall behavior of the structure.
As mentioned earlier, in special moment-resisting frame,
for collapse prevention purposes, RBS connections have
to bear a drift of 0.045. However, it is still possible to
increase the load. From about 0.03 radians onwards,
deterioration is seen in the behavior of RBS connections
made of IPE sections. However, in IPB and wide-flange
sections, the level of deterioration is lower due to the
larger flange widths. In the following, it is indicated how
the use of a suitable stiffener on the web can enhance the
hysteresis behavior of RBS connections. A suitable stiffener
Figure 6. Force-rotation curve for IPE300 beam with
reduced section and rotation of up to 0.1 radians.
not only prevents hysteretic deterioration, it also prevents
the increase in the bending strength of the connection and
thus, provides more reliable plastic joints to be formed on
the beam. It also protects the welds on the beam-column
connection and the panel zone in the column against
damages. In the analyses performed in sections 4 and 5,
the behavior of steel flange and web was assumed according
to Ohsaki et al., 2009, and the stiffeners behavior was
supposed elasto-plastic according to ST37. In sections 6
and 7, the property of all materials was assumed elasto-
plastic according to ST37.
4. Effect of Stiffeners on the Behavior of RBS
Connection Made of IPE300 Sections with
Radius Cut
In this section, 93 finite element models of RBS were
made with IPE300 sections. In order to study the effect of
stiffener on the behavior of RBS, different horizontal and
vertical stiffeners with different lengths, thicknesses, geo-
metries, and quantities were considered in these models.
Each model was exposed to cyclic loading up to a rotation
of 0.1 radians (Fig. 5). Finite element analyses were also
performed with the material and geometrical non-linearities
being considered. Different models were considered, and
the performance of stiffeners was assessed.
4.1. Analyzing of the effect of the number of
horizontal stiffeners
A total of 16 RBS samples were modeled and analyzed
in 4 different groups (Table 3). The difference between
the models lies in the length of stiffeners, their number
and the distance from the column ledge. It is worth
mentioning that the width of stiffeners was assumed to be
half the width of the beam flange while their thickness
was assumed to be 9 mm.
Figures 7 to 10 show the hysteresis behavior of models
1, 6, 11 and 16 compared to the cases without stiffeners.
In all cases, a slight enhancement is seen in the hysteresis
curve; yet deterioration still continues. Moreover, in all
models (except for model 1), the bending strength of the
 The Effect of Stiffener on Behavior of Reduced Beam Section Connections in Steel Moment-Resisting Frames 831

Table 3. Specifications of the horizontal stiffeners in models 1 to 16

Group 1 2 3 4
horizontal stiffeners length (m) 0.36 0.28 0.28 0.20
Stiffener distance from column side (m) 0 0 0.08 0.08
Number of horizontal stiffeners 1 to 4 1 to 4 1 to 4 1 to 4

Figure 7. Model 1 at the end of loading and the Figure 9. Model 11 at the end of loading and the
corresponding force-rotation curve. corresponding force-rotation curve.

Figure 8. Model 6 at the end of loading and the Figure 10. Model 16 at the end of loading and the force-
corresponding force-rotation curve. rotation curve.

connection is increased, which is unacceptable. Finally,
none of the 16 models ideally modified the hysteresis
behavior of the connection. Hence, it can be said that
although the horizontal stiffener influences the hysteresis
curve for the connection, it has only a slight effect and
hence, a single horizontal stiffener in the middle of the
web will suffice. The reason is that the increased number
of horizontal stiffeners increases the bending strength of
the connection.
4.2. Horizontal stiffener length and its distance from
column
In this section, only a horizontal stiffener was used in
the middle of a beam web with a constant thickness of 9
mm. The length of stiffener varied between 20 to 44 cm
(with 2 or 4 cm change) and the distance between the
stiffener and the column was assumed to be between zero
and 8 cm (with 1 or 2 cm changes). In total, 36 different
finite element models were analyzed, and the hysteresis
curve for all of them was obtained. Results were not
satisfactory all together, and deterioration was controlled
slightly. Therefore, it can be said that the length of
horizontal stiffener and the distance between the stiffener
and the column side does not influence the hysteretic
deterioration of the connection. If one horizontal stiffener
is used, as its distance from the reduced area decreases
and as its length approaches the length of the reduced
section of the beam, the resulting hysteresis curve will be
more satisfactory.
4.3. Analysis of thickness of horizontal stiffener
In this section, only a 28-cm long stiffener was used at
a distance of 4 cm from the column side. The thickness of
the stiffener varied from 2 to 24 mm and a total of 15
finite element analyses were carried out. Although the
thickness of stiffener influences the hysteresis curve for
the connection, it has only a slight effect. For instance,
while Figs. 11 and 12 demonstrate the hysteresis curves
of two stiffeners with thicknesses of respectively 5 and 18
millimeters, there isn’t that huge of a difference between
the two.
4.4. Analysis of vertical stiffener
In this section, 12 different models, including vertical
stiffeners, were built and analyzed. Figures 13 and 14
show the positioning of the stiffener as well as the hysteresis
curve for two types of these models. It can again be said
that the vertical stiffener does not have much of an
832 M. Tahamouli Roudsari et al. / International Journal of Steel Structures, 15(4), 827-834, 2015

Figure 13. Model 68 including two vertical stiffeners and

the corresponding force-rotation curve.
Figure 11. Force-rotation curve for a horizontal stiffener
with thickness of 5 mm.

Figure 14. Model 78 including three vertical stiffeners

and the corresponding force-rotation curve.

Figure 12. Force-rotation curve for a horizontal stiffener

with thickness of 18 mm.

influence on the curves. However, the vertical stiffener

never adds to the bending strength of the connection and
contributes to the decreasing behavior of the connection.

4.5. Analysis of the combination of vertical and Figure 15. Model 93 consisting of five vertical stiffeners
horizontal stiffeners and one horizontal stiffener along with the corresponding
In order to study the combination of vertical and force-rotation curve.
horizontal stiffeners, 14 different finite element models
were constructed. The samples had the following combination
patterns: one horizontal and two vertical stiffeners; two
horizontal and two vertical stiffeners; one horizontal and
three vertical stiffeners; one horizontal and four vertical
stiffeners; and one horizontal and five vertical stiffeners.
The length and distances among stiffeners varied by
sample. The hysteresis curve for some of the samples was
satisfactory. For example, the behavior of a connection
with a horizontal stiffener in the middle of the web, two
stiffeners on both sides of the beam that have the same Figure 16. The final detail proposed for RBS with radius
height as the beam's web and also three other stiffeners cut according to AISC standard for IPE300.
with heights equal to two thirds of that of the height of
the beam’s web (which are placed symmetrically), is numerical analyses, the resulting hysteresis curve will be
shown in Fig. 15. The resulting hysteresis curve is very more than 90% similar to the curve depicted in Fig. 15.
satisfactory and no deterioration was seen in it up to a Hence, the detail shown in Fig. 16 is proposed for IPE300
rotation of 0.1 radians. However, this connection is hard- RBS with radius cut according to the AISC standard.
to-build. Given operational restrictions, it is possible to The important result was that by adding a stiffener, the
omit the 3 additional vertical stiffeners with a height hysteresis performance of RBS connections can be enhanced
equal to two third of the height of the web. According to considerably. However, stiffeners shown in Fig. 16 are
 The Effect of Stiffener on Behavior of Reduced Beam Section Connections in Steel Moment-Resisting Frames 833

Figure 19. Stiffener for RBS with radius cuts according to

Figure 17. Two vertical stiffeners and one diagonal
stiffener for RBS with radius cuts according to the AISC
standard for IPE240.
the AISC standard for IPE400.
The best composition is shown in Fig. 19. Although the
effect of stiffener on the behavior of IPE400 is significant,
the effect is smaller compared to smaller sections.

6. Analysis of the Effect of Stiffeners on

Figure 18. Two diagonal stiffeners for RBS with radius
cut according to the AISC standard for IPE240.
not applicable to all RBS connection and different sections.
It is, therefore, necessary to determine suitable stiffeners
for light and heavy weight IPE, IPB and wide-flange
sections and for different cuts of RBS (including radius
cut, straight cut, etc.). In the following, the effect of
stiffener on IPE sections with other sizes and other cuts
such as straight cut and reduced beams with drilled-
flange is examined.
the Behavior of RBS Connection Made of
IPE240 and IPE400 Sections with Straight
Cuts
In this section, 15 different models were made of IPE240
section with straight cuts. The models included diagonal,
horizontal, and vertical stiffeners and a combination of
these three. A suitable stiffener sample is shown in Fig.
20. A total of 12 models were also made of IPE400 with
straight cuts. The models were a combination of horizontal,
vertical and diagonal stiffeners. The best model is
depicted in Fig. 21.

5. Analysis of the Effect of Stiffeners on

the Behavior of RBS Connection Made of
IPE240 and IPE400 Sections with Radius
Cut
Figure 20. Stiffeners suitable for RBS with straight cut
In this section, 30 different models were made of IPE240.
and IPE240 section.
The models mostly include diagonal stiffeners. Figures 17
and 18 show samples of suitable stiffeners. Simultaneous
use of two diagonal stiffeners on the cuts of flanges can
leave a highly satisfactory effect on the hysteresis behavior
of connections. For larger sections such as IPE400,
stiffeners leave less of a positive effect on the hysteresis
behavior of connections. Occurrence of lateral torsional
buckling is related to the ratio of section height to flange
width. By cutting flanges in RBS connection made of
larger IPEs, the ratio grows and the possibility of lateral
torsional buckling increases as well. A total of 15 different
models were built for IPE400 section. The models were Figure 21. Stiffeners suitable for RBS with straight cut
composed of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal stiffeners. and IPE400 section.
834 M. Tahamouli Roudsari et al. / International Journal of Steel Structures, 15(4), 827-834, 2015
Figure 22. A sample stiffeners suitable for drilled-flange
RBS made of IPE240 section.
7. Analysis of the Effect of Stiffeners on
the Behavior of Drilled-Flange RBS
Connection Made of IPE240 Section
A total of 18 different models were made of IPE240. A
row of holes were drilled in the flanges, and the models
consisted of diagonal, horizontal and vertical stiffeners
and a combination of all. Figure 22 shows a suitable
stiffener sample. As seen, the effect of stiffener on this
type of RBS connection is also significant.
8. Conclusion
In this study, the effect of stiffener on the hysteresis
behavior of RBS was studied. RBS connections show
reduced hysteresis behavior from 0.03 to 0.04 radian
rotations. The decrease in the width of beam flange reduces
the section’s resistance to lateral torsional buckling, and
as a result, the possibility of local buckling in the web
increases. Hence, according to the 183 nonlinear finite
element analyses conducted in this research, it was tried
to study the effect of different stiffeners for different
sections (IPE240, IPE300 and IPE400) with radius cut,
straight cut, and drilled flange, and therefore, enhance
their hysteresis behavior. The most important results
obtained in this research are as follows:
(1) The geometry of the stiffener (such as its length and
angle) influences the behavior of connections more than
thickness does.
(2) Simultaneous use of vertical and horizontal stiffeners
can eliminate the deterioration in the RBS beams made of
medium sections (such as IPE240 or IPE300) up to a
rotation of 0.1 radians.
(3) For IPE240 or IPE300 sections, it is possible to use
diagonal stiffeners instead of a combination of vertical
and horizontal stiffeners.
(4) The effect of stiffeners on larger sections (such as
IPE400) with radius and straight cuts is considerable and
improves the behavior of such sections. However,
compared to the lighter sections, the effect is not as
strongly seen.
(5) For large sections such as IPE400, diagonal stiffeners
with radius and straight cuts are more suitable.
Although this research showed the effect of stiffener on
preventing the deterioration of the hysteresis behavior of
RBS connection, the geometries and dimensions obtained
for stiffeners cannot be extended to all types of beams and
cuts in RBS. It is recommended to conduct experiments
on RBS connections with stiffener. A similar experiment
is going to be performed soon in the specialized laboratory
of Islamic Azad University of Kermanshah.
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