New Component-Based Model for Single-Plate Shear Connections with Pre-tension

Area of Science:

• Structural Engineering
• Computational Mechanics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Simple shear connections in steel buildings are often idealized as pinned, neglecting their actual load-resisting capacity.
• This simplification can underestimate building stability and robustness under extreme events like earthquakes, fires, or column loss.
• Realistic connection behavior is vital for accurate structural analysis and design, especially for gravity framing systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a computationally efficient component-based model for single-plate shear connections.
• To incorporate realistic behaviors including pre-tension, standard/slotted holes, bolt slip, bearing, and shear.
• To enable accurate simulation of connection response under various in-plane load histories, including load reversals and hysteresis.

Main Methods:

• Development of a component-based model for single-plate shear connections.
• Inclusion of pre-tension effects and accommodation of standard and slotted holes.
• Modeling of deformations due to bolt slip, bearing, and shear, along with hysteresis and load reversals.

Main Results:

• The developed model accurately simulates single-plate shear connection behavior under combined flexural and axial loading.
• Validation cases demonstrate the model's capability in simulating responses to earthquake and column removal scenarios.
• The model accounts for critical phenomena like bolt slip, bearing, shear, and hysteresis.

Conclusions:

• Accurate modeling of gravity connections enhances the evaluation of steel building robustness and stability.
• The proposed component-based model provides a validated tool for analyzing steel structures under extreme loads.
• Incorporating realistic connection behavior can reduce reliance on lateral systems and potentially lower construction costs.