Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of the Seismic Performance of Rigid Beam-to-Circular Column Connections with Steel Box

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Civil Engineering, Ker.C., Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran.

2 Department of Civil Engineering, San.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

In this study, the seismic behavior of an I-beam to hollow circular column connection with a steel box was investigated. In the first phase, three experimental samples with different stiffener configurations were subjected to quasi-static cyclic loading. The first sample, designed with four internal stiffeners to transfer forces from the box to the column (baseline model), was analyzed. The second sample added two internal stiffeners aligned with the beam flanges, while the third sample incorporated external stiffeners at the beam-to-box connection along with an internal arrangement similar to the first sample. After cyclic loading, stiffness, ultimate moment, ductility, and cumulative energy absorption were extracted from the moment-rotation curves. Additionally, the connection's rotation and maximum strain in the main members of each sample were measured. Based on the experimental results, a calibrated finite element model for the second sample (due to better performance) was developed, and the effect of steel box thickness in the range of 4 to 14 mm on these responses and connection stiffness was assessed. The main objective of the numerical studies was to determine the minimum thickness beyond which responses became insensitive to further increases in thickness. Experimental results showed that the use of internal stiffeners aligned with the beam flanges improved the connection's performance, increasing the ultimate moment, elastic stiffness, and ductility. Numerical results indicated that with a steel box thickness at least 2 mm greater than the beam flange thickness, the responses became independent of further thickness increases, and the connection was classified as rigid.

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Amirkabir Journal of Civil Engineering
Volume 57, Issue 8
in progress
November 2025

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