The Finite Element Analysis Research On Working Behavior Of Reduced Beam Section Connections

The beam-column connections are crucial for multi and high storeys. In the past, they are designed into rigid joints, which can resist horizontal load and earthquake load. But In the Northridge Earthquake and Kobe Earthquake, lots of the traditional rigid joints of steel frame appeared brittle failures and the plastic deformation did not happen in the beam at all. They were not up to the seismic fortification criterion. So researchers try to develop a new style of joints to enhance the aseismatic capability of steel frame. Reduced Beam Section style connection is one of the most popular connection style.Researchers believe that the weakened section will yield first under the earthquake, when the rational man-made weakening was taken on the beam flange. And the plastic hinge will appear on the weakened section finally.With the exiting data, Finite Element Analysis for steel frame with Reduced Beam Section style beam-column connections was performed with ANSYS numerical simulation in this paper. It analyzes the changes and distribution of stress of this connection. A comparison of fatigue behavior under different stress amplitude is carried out in the ANSYS fatigue calculation function. The aim is to see the contribution which the Reduced Beam Section do to the super high cycle fatigue behavior and the low cycle fatigue.