doi:10.3850/9789628014194_0057

ABSTRACT

Several structural collapse incidents indicate that failure usually started from beam-column joints when exposed to abnormal loads. If the connections are sufficiently robust and there is adequate axial restraint from adjoining structures, catenary action usually forms in the beams and slabs and gives rise to alternate load paths when affected columns are blasted away, resulting in large deformation in associated beams and slabs. This paper presents numerical assessment of the performance of steel beam-column joints subjected to catenary action under out-of-plane loading condition using explicit dynamic solution technique. The numerical models are validated by a few published experimental results for in-plane loading condition. The work shows that explicit dynamic solution technique can be used to simulate the performance of bolted connections. Two types of connections (viz. web cleat and flush end plate) are studied under column removal scenario. Two numerical models have been developed to conduct quasistatic analysis, in which material and geometric non-linearities, large deformation and contact behaviour are considered. This study provides the behaviour and failure modes of these two connections, including their ability to deform in catenary action mode. The simulation results demonstrate that load eccentricity does not significantly influence the load capacity of flush end plate connection. However, this effect adversely affects the performance of web cleat connection.

Keywords: Catenary action, Connection, Large deformation, Numerical analysis, Out-of-plane, Progressive Collapse, Steel.

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