Mechanical Behavior Of Reduced Beam Section Connections With Tube Reinforced Web Opening

Steel structure is famed for its eminent seismic performance. However, the steel frames were damaged because of the crack presented in the beam-column connection in Northridge and Kobe earthquake. To solve this problem, puts forward the strengthen and weaken connection.As one type of the weaken, the connection of web opending can move the beam plastic hinge away from the column flange welding zone. Meanwhile the connection can allow equipment pipe to pass through the beam. It’s necessary to design the hole size to move the plastic hinge away from the welding zone and pass the pipe through the beam. If the hole is too small that the plastic hinge can’t move well, and if the hole is so big that the beam can’t own enough shear resistance. So to make up for the shortcomings of traditional reduced beam connections with web opening, this paper puts forward a new connection with tube reinforced web opening.Firstly,the paper check the accuracy of using ABAQUS FE analysis to simulate the experiment. Then,making and analysing the model with different parameter under the static force and hysteretic load to know the mechanical behavior of the connections. Disscussing the effect of the failure mode, plastic hinge location, bearing capacity, stress distribution, seismic performance and panel zone of the connections under the different parameters such as the opening position, the radius of the opening and the thickness of the tube.The finite element software is used to simulate a series of web opening section and reduced beam section with tube reinforced web opening. And comparing with the existing research results to determine the correctness of research methods. Then puts forward the criterion of the failure criterion of the section with tube reinforced web opening under pure bending load, pure shear load and bending- shear load. Founding that the tube has little effect on bend strength,but it has great effect on shear strength. Bend bearing capacity formula, shear bearing capacity formula and the formula of bending-shearing were given considering opening rates and thickness of thetube, and then gives the use range of the formulas.The analysis and conclusion from the paper is valuable for project design and further on reduced beam section connections with stub tube reinforced web opening.