Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952

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Journal of Constructional Steel Research

An alternative detail for continuity plates in steel beam

to box-column moment-connections
M.A. Najafgholipour a,⁎, Kianoush Peykari b, S.M. Dehghan a
a
Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran
b
Graduate Student of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In this study, the use of an internal vertical stiffener in built-up box-columns parallel to the beam web, which
Received 25 June 2019 turns the column section into a boxed I-section in the connection region to eliminate the common continuity
Received in revised form 25 November 2019 plates, is assessed through an experimental and numerical study. For this purpose, two full-scale exterior I-
Accepted 25 January 2020
beam to box-column moment connections (one with common continuity plates and the other one with a vertical
Available online 3 February 2020
stiffener as an alternative detail) are tested under reversed cyclic loading. The test results in terms of hysteresis
Keywords:
moment-rotation curves, strain in critical stations, and observations during the tests indicate that the connection
Steel moment-connection with the vertical stiffener could survive story drifts of up to 4% without any strength loss and brittle failure such as
Continuity plates weld fracture. For further investigation of the seismic performance of the proposed detail, Finite Element Model-
Vertical stiffener ing (FEM) of the test specimens is also conducted in the FE software ABAQUS and validated using the test results.
Box-column The results of the numerical study also confirm the satisfactory behavior of the connections with the proposed
Experimental study detail.
Finite element model © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction with special features have been presented in a number of studies

Steel Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs) are well known as ductile
earthquake resistant structural systems. They are commonly employed
in buildings with different heights and occupancies mainly due to their
minimum architectural interference. After Northridge (1994) and Kobe
(1995) earthquakes whereby steel MRFs experienced severe damages
especially in their connections, the crucial role of beam-column mo-
ment connections in the global seismic performance of steel MRFs was
confirmed. In this regard, extensive studies were conducted to find
the weak points of the existing connections and to make improvements
to enhance their seismic performance. These studies led to specific
guidelines for retrofitting existing joints and prequalified connections
for new buildings [1,2].
Regarding the importance of steel moment connections and their ef-
fects on the seismic performance of steel MRFs, numerous experimental
and numerical studies have been done to evaluate their behavior under
cyclic loads. A significant number of studies have been devoted to the
seismic performance of the common types of connections in recent de-
cades [3–7]. In a number of experimental studies, some modifications
have been proposed to improve the seismic performance of the connec-
tions by enhancing their strength as well as their plastic rotation capac-
ity under reversed cyclic loads [8,9]. Innovative types of connections
⁎ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: najafgholipour@sutech.ac.ir (M.A. Najafgholipour).
[10,11]. The performance of Reduced Beam Sections (RBS) as an im-
provement technique in moment resisting connections has also been
evaluated in numerical and experimental studies [12–16]. To assess
the effects of welding type, welding pattern, and welding damage on
the seismic performance of steel moment connections, several studies
have been performed [17,18]. A number of analytical and numerical
studies have been conducted to explore the force-transferring mecha-
nism in different types of connections leading to the development of
design procedures for steel moment connections [19,20]. Due to the
widespread use of built-up columns with double I-sections in some
regions such as Iran, some experimental and numerical investigations
have been conducted to evaluate the different aspects of these
connections [21,22].
Wide-flange, box, boxed wide-flange, and flange cruciform columns
are permitted to be used in steel MRFs according to AISC 341-16 [23].
Built-up steel box columns are widely used in regions where heavy
hot-rolled steel sections are not available. Moreover, due to the inherent
geometrical properties of box sections, they are more efficient com-
pared to I-sections especially under bidirectional moments. In addition,
beams can be joined to all sides of box columns simultaneously by
means of appropriate types of moment connections. Furthermore,
box sections are composed of stiffened elements reducing the width-
to-thickness ratio requirements for seismic compact sections.
A welded steel I-beam to box-column moment resisting connection
is schematically illustrated in Fig. 1-a. The mechanism of transferring

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2020.105952
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2 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952
Fig. 1. Steel welded I-beam to box-column moment connection, a- Schematic view of the connection, b- Moment transfer mechanism in the joint.
internal actions in the joint region is shown in Fig. 1-b. The continuity
plates across the column sections have a key role in transferring the
bending moment from the adjacent beams to the column and vice
versa as an internal diaphragm. A pair of tensile and compressive forces
induced in the beam flanges (Puf), equivalent to the bending moment in
the beam (Mu), are transferred to the joint panel through the in-plane
action of the continuity plates. In the absence of continuity plates, the
tensile and compressive forces cause a local bending moment in the col-
umn flanges which in turn leads to excessive flexural deformations.
These deformations may be accompanied by the local yielding or local
buckling of the column flanges.
Various studies have been done to investigate the role of different
types of stiffeners and details in the seismic behavior of steel moment
connections with wide-flange and box columns. In a comprehensive re-
search project, the nonlinear behavior of moment resisting beam-
column joints with various detailing of stiffeners (doubler plates and
continuity plates) was assessed [24–26]. As part of this research, Lee
et al. [24] conducted experimental studies on six interior connections
with different detailing of wide-flange column stiffeners. Afterward,
Prochnow et al. [25], by focusing on the role of continuity plates in
steel beam to column moment connections, conducted pull tests on
beam flange to column flange specimens. In their report, a complete
history of the investigations on the behavior of continuity plates and re-
lated code provisions can be found. Subsequently, in a numerical study,
Ye et al. [26] assessed the nonlinear behavior of steel beam-column mo-
ment connections focusing on the role of doubler plates and continuity
plates on their seismic behavior. For this purpose, they numerically in-
vestigated both previously conducted pull tests on column flange subas-
semblies and tests on beam-column connections. They also evaluated
the behavior of continuity plates and doubler plates in wide-flange
and box columns through a parametric numerical study. The analysis
results showed that using continuity plates reduced the bending stress
and strains in column flanges considerably. In another study, Ahmady
Jazany and Hosseini Hashemi [27] conducted cyclic tests on six interior
connections to assess the influence of the continuity plate configuration
on the seismic behavior of the panel zone with unequal beam depths.
The test results indicated that the configuration of the continuity plates
not only affected the stiffness of the sub-assemblages but also influ-
enced their plastic rotation capacity. Recently, through an analytical
and numerical study, Amani et al. [28] investigated the local bending
of column flange and the requirements of the continuity plates in
double-web H-shaped columns.
Despite the various advantages of box sections over other section
types and their widespread use in some regions of the world, relatively
few studies have been specifically conducted on the seismic perfor-
mance of the steel beam to box-column connections. As an example,
Chen et al. [29] evaluated the performance of welded I-beam to box-
column moment connections. The results of their study demonstrated
the role of internal diaphragms in the seismic performance of I-beams
to box-columns moment resisting connections. As another early study
on the beam to box-column connections, Shanmugam and Ting [30]
performed tests on interior joints. Kim et al. [31] conducted tests on
pre-Northridge steel beam to box-column connections with internal di-
aphragms. The test results as well as the numerical model of the connec-
tions led to some welding details of the continuity plates. Flange-plate
connections of I-beams to box-columns were assessed by Gholami
et al. [32] through an experimental and numerical study. The results of
this study indicated that the connections were able to satisfy the AISC
criteria for special moment connections. Chen and Shi [33] performed
an experimental investigation on the seismic performance of a new
end-plate joint with box-columns. The test results revealed that the pro-
posed prefabrication technique had a satisfactory performance under
cyclic loads. Mirghaderi et al. [34] proposed a through-plate connection
for steel I-beam to box-column moment connections. They evaluated
the behavior of the connection in an experimental study and investi-
gated the dimensions and shape of the plate by means of a numerical
model. A novel short-stub-beam connection was proposed by Erfani
et al. [35] for I-beam to box-column connections. Finite Element (FE)
method was employed to evaluate the seismic performance of this con-
nection. Recently, Jahanbakhti et al. [36] evaluated the behavior of the
panel zones in beam to box-column connections through an experi-
mental study on three specimens. They examined the elimination of
the continuity plates from the connection by providing a minimum
column flange thickness.
Considering the complicated welding of continuity plates in
box-columns due to lack of accessibility, a number of researchers have
proposed alternatives for continuity plates in box columns. For instance,
Rezaifar et al. [37] assessed the seismic behavior of interior connections
with external stiffeners as an alternative detail to eliminate the internal
diaphragms. In a numerical study, Saffari et al. [38] examined a new
detail as an alternative for common continuity plates.
1.1. AISC provisions for continuity plates in boxed wide-flange columns
According to AISC 341-16 [23], in steel I-beam to boxed wide-flange
column moment resisting connections and under some conditions,
continuity plates are not required and the joint panel is able to transfer the
internal induced actions properly. According to the code provisions, the
column flange should necessarily satisfy the following limiting condition:
bbf
t lim ¼ ð1Þ
12
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 3

Fig. 2. Fabrication sequence of the box-column section with a common continuity plates.

where, tlim is the minimum permitted thickness of the column flange and bbf where bbf and bcf are the widths of the beam and column flanges, respec-
is the width of the beam flange. In addition, the column flange and web tively, and tbf is the thickness of the beam flange. Also, Fyb and Fyc are the
should be designed under the concentrated force in the beam flange caused specified minimum yield strengths of the beam and column, respec-
by the probable flexural moment capacity of the beam. For this purpose, the tively, and Ry is Ratio of the expected yield stress to the specified mini-
limit states of the local yielding, local crippling, sidesway buckling, and com- mum yield stress.
pression buckling must be checked for the column web. Moreover, the col-
umn flange should be designed for local bending. 1.2. Research significance
In the former edition of AISC 341-10 [39], the continuity plates could
be eliminated in boxed wide-flange columns if the column flange thick- Although the horizontal continuity plates can be easily welded in
ness (tcf) satisfied the following inequalities: wide-flange columns, proper welding of all the edges of the continuity
plate to a box-column is difficult due to lack of accessibility. The fabrica-
bbf tion sequence of a steel beam to box-column connection with common
t cf ≥ ð2Þ continuity plates is illustrated in Fig. 2 Accordingly, the welding of the
12
fourth edge of the continuity plates to the column cannot be done prop-
vffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi erly using common welding procedures.
u"  # To eliminate the commonly used continuity plates in steel I-beam to
u bbf bcf F yb Ryb
t cf ≥0:4 t 1− 2 bbf − 1:8bbf t bf ð3Þ box-column moment connections, an alternative detail inspired from
b 4 F yc Ryc
cf the aforementioned points about the necessity of continuity plates in

Fig. 3. Welded steel I-beam to box-column connection, a- Common detail with horizontal continuity plates, b- The proposed detail with a vertical stiffener.
4 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952

Fig. 4. Moment transfer mechanism in the connections with vertical stiffener.

Fig. 5. Fabrication sequence of the box-column section with a vertical stiffener.

boxed wide-flange columns is proposed in this study. For this purpose, a wide-flange boxed section in the joint region. By satisfying the geomet-
vertical stiffener is used in the column parallel to the beam web (see rical requirements and controlling the limit states, the elimination of the
Fig. 3). Consequently, the column section becomes similar to a horizontal continuity plates may be possible by using a vertical stiffener.

Fig. 6. Dimensions of the test specimens.

 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 5

Fig. 7. Fabrication details of the RBS-H connection, a- Side view, b- Top view, c- Dimensions of the continuity plates, d- Shear tab dimensions, e- Beam section.
6 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952

Fig. 8. Fabrication details of the RBS-V connection, a- Side view, b- Top view, c- Dimensions of the Vertical stiffener, d- Shear tab dimensions, e- Beam section.
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 7

Fig. 9. Fabrication of the test specimens in shop.

Following the fabrication procedure of the proposed connection as illus-

trated in Fig. 5, its applicability is confirmed for practical cases.
To evaluate the efficiency of this idea, the seismic performance of the
I-beam to box-column moment resisting connections with the pro-
posed detail is assessed through an experimental program. For this pur-
pose, two full-scale exterior beam-column moment connections (one
with common horizontal continuity plates and the other one with a ver-
tical stiffener in the column) are tested under cyclic loadings. For further
evaluation of the proposed technique and detailed investigation on the
behavior of the test specimens, a Finite Element (FE) numerical study is
implemented in the software ABAQUS [40] and validated with the test
results.

Fig. 10. Tensile test of the steel plates according to ASTM A370 [41].
2. Experimental program

Two full-scale exterior joints were fabricated and tested in this

Table 1 study. The details of the test program including the fabrication process
Mechanical properties of the steel plates and sections. of the specimens and the test set-up as well as the results of the exper-
Test specimen Yield stress (MPa) Ultimate strength (MPa) Elongation (%)
imental study are presented here.

HEA280 (Web) 368.8 521.1 24.8

2.1. Test specimens
HEA280 (Flange) 298.1 474.9 28.9
Plate 20 mm 300.7 475.1 24.2
Plate 15 mm 292.2 476.7 20.1 The test specimens were exterior beam-column connections iso-
lated from a steel MRF with the story height of 2.6 m and span length
of 6 m (see Fig. 6).
The connections were made up of a 300 mm × 300 mm built-up steel
Furthermore, by using the RBS detail in the beam, it is ensured that the box column with the flange thickness of 20 mm. HEA280 was employed
plastic hinge in the beam occurs at a certain distance from the column as the beam with the same height and flange width of 280 mm. The
face. A schematic view of the force transmission in the connections flange and web thicknesses of the beam section were 18 mm and
with vertical stiffness is illustrated in Fig. 4. Accordingly, the tensile 10.5 mm, respectively. Continuous groove weld was used to assemble
and compressive forces induced in the beam flanges (Puf) result in inter- the plates of the built-up box-column. The only difference between the
nal forces in the column webs (Vcw) and the vertical stiffener (Vs). specimens was that in the reference connection (RBS-H), a pair of square

Fig. 11. Test setup for the cyclic test of the exterior moment connections.
8 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952

Fig. 12. Loading protocol of AISC 341-16 in the reversed cyclic test of the steel moment connections [23].

Fig. 13. Configuration of the mounted strain gauges on the connections, a- RBS-H connection, b- RBS-V connections.
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 9

Fig. 14. Hysteresis moment-rotation curve of the RBS-H connection.

continuity plates within the column (260 mm × 260 mm × 20 mm) were
utilized in the plane of the beam flanges as the common detail for the
moment resisting connections. In the other connection (RBS-V), a verti-
cal stiffener in the column axis with the dimensions of 260 mm
× 500 mm × 20 mm in the plane of the beam web was employed instead
of the continuity plates. The vertical stiffener in the latter connection was
extended 110 mm beyond the top and bottom flanges of the beam which
makes the column section in the connection region similar to a boxed
wide-flange section. The continuity plates and the vertical stiffener
were jointed to the columns using groove welds. The fabrication and
welding details of the test specimens including the dimensions of the dif-
ferent parts are illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 for RBS-H and RBS-V,
respectively.
It should be noted that the beam and column dimensions were de-
termined based on a preliminary design according to AISC341–16 seis-
mic provisions [23] to satisfy the strong column-weak beam criterion.
The joint panel zone was designed for the expected shear stress due to
the expected plastic moment of the beam to the column.
Moreover, the shear tab was designed for the expected shear force de-
veloped in the beam corresponding to the plastic flexural strength of
the beam section. In addition, to avoid extensive flexural plastic strain
in the beam just adjacent to the column face, a Reduced Beam
Section (RBS) was used with a 5% reduction of the flange width of the
beam (see Figs. 7-b and 6-b).
As is shown in Fig. 9, the connections were shop-welded by qualified
welders. During fabrication, Ultrasonic Testing (UT) was performed on

Fig. 15. Measured strain at different levels of beam rotation.

10 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952
all the groove welds to assure their quality and penetration. Finally, the
specimens were painted with whitewash to monitor the inelastic defor-
mations during the test.
2.2. Material properties
To determine the mechanical properties of the steel plates and sec-
tions, tensile test based on ASTM A370 [41] was performed on standard
coupons cut from the different parts of the connections (see Fig. 10).
Using the obtained stress-strain curves from each tensile test, the key
mechanical properties were determined as listed in Table 1. These prop-
erties were used in the numerical study and the verification phase.
2.3. Test setup and procedure
To evaluate the seismic performance of the connections with com-
mon and alternative continuity plate details, reversed cyclic tests were
conducted on the test specimens (Fig. 11). Under lateral load, it is as-
sumed that contra-flexure points in the beams and columns of a MRF
are located almost at the mid-stories and mid-spans of the frame.
Thus, pin supports were utilized at the top and bottom of the column
and at the beam tip as well (see Fig. 11).
The cyclic displacement control load with the ascending amplitude
following the standard loading protocol prescribed in AISC 341-16
[23] (Fig. 12) was applied to the end of the beam (3000 mm from the
Fig. 16. Observed behavior of the specimen RBS-H, a- 0.01 rad, b- 0.02 rad, c- 0.03 rad, d- 0.04 rad.
column axis) by means of a 250 kN semi-automatic hydraulic actuator.
However, in this study, the tests were terminated at the beam rotation
of 0.04 rad. The displacement of the loading point and the applied
load during the test were measured by means of a displacement trans-
ducer (LVDT) and a load cell, respectively. To avoid any lateral displace-
ment and instability of the beam during the test, a lateral support was
provided at a distance of 1500 mm from the column face. Unlike Rein-
forced Concrete (RC) beam to column moment connections, the axial
load does not affect the behavior of the steel beam to column moment
connections, especially in cases that the panel zone is designed to trans-
fer the moment from the adjacent beams. Therefore, in this study, the
connections were tested in the absence of column axial load.
To measure the strain in regions where the yielding of the section
was anticipated or stress concentration was probable, some strain
gauges were mounted on the test specimens with the configuration pre-
sented in Fig. 13. It should be noted that due to some technical prob-
lems, a number of the strain gauges were disrupted and their data
were not available.
2.4. Results of the experimental study
The results of the cyclic tests on the connections including hysteresis
load-displacement curves (moment-rotation curves) as well as observa-
tions during the tests are presented in the subsequent sections. It should
be noted that the rotations reported in the subsequent sections, are the
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 11

Fig. 17. The beam to column groove weld at the end of the test.

chord rotation of the beam which is the ratio of the vertical deflection of
the beam end to the distance between the loading point and the column
centerline. Moreover, the plastic moment strength of the beam (Mp) spec-
ified on the moment-rotation curves was determined as follows:
 L 2850
Mp ¼ Z RBS F yb b ¼ ð1065  298:1Þ  ¼ 350:7 kN−m
LRBS 2580
where ZRBS is the plastic section modulus of the beam at reduced section,
and LRBS and Lb are the distances from the loading point to the center of
the RBS and column centerline, respectively,
2.4.1. Reference connection with horizontal continuity plates (RBS-H)
The experimental hysteresis moment-rotation curve of the RBS-H
connection is plotted in Fig. 14.
As was expected, the reference connection (RBS-H) with common
continuity plates in the joint panel was able to survive the rotation of
0.04 rad without any strength loss. The initial stiffness of the connection
was 27,618 kN-m/rad. The peak moment capacity of the connection cor-
responding to the rotation of 0.04 rad was 540 kN-m which was more
than the expected plastic flexural strength of the beam (Mp = 350.7
kN-m). Hence, the connection could meet the AISC 341–16 require-
ments as a special moment resisting connection.
The measured strains at different levels of the story drift are plotted
in Fig. 15. Moreover, the test observations including the local
deformations of the beam and column sections are illustrated in
Fig. 16. The joint behavior during the test and the measured strains at
different stations indicate that the test specimen remained elastic up
to the rotation of 0.01 rad and no obvious local excessive deformation
was observed in this rotation (Fig. 16-a). Strain gauge number 3
which measured the strain on the top flange of the beam in the RBS re-
ð4Þ
gion showed the first yielding in the test specimen at the rotation of
0.015 rad. Excessive local deformations with the flaking of whitewash
(which may be a sign of yielding of the beam flange in the RBS region)
were also observed in the test specimen (Fig. 16-b). According to the
measured strain in the strain gauges 1 and 2, the top of the beam next
to the column face yielded from the drift ratio of 1% to 2%. By increasing
the rotation amplitude up to 0.04 rad, the flaking of whitewash in-
creased on the beam flanges and developed in the depth of the beam
at the RBS zone (Fig. 16-c and -d) and the measured strain on the
beam flanges increased to around 5 times as much as the steel yield
strain. The concentration of the plastic hinge in the beam and especially
at the RBS region without any fracture in the beam to column groove
welds (Fig. 17) confirmed the acceptable performance of the joint as a
prequalified special moment resisting connection.
2.4.2. Proposed connection with a vertical stiffener (RBS-V)
The hysteresis moment-rotation curve of the connection RBS-V with
a vertical stiffener in the column is presented in Fig. 18. Similar to the

Fig. 18. Hysteresis moment-rotation curve of the RBS-V connection.

12 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952
reference connection, the moment-rotation curve indicates that this
connection could reach the rotation of 0.04 rad with no obvious
strength loss. In addition, its maximum moment strength correspond-
ing to the rotation of 0.04 rad was 549 kN-m which was more than
the plastic moment of the beam. This means that the beam was able
to reach its plastic flexural moment capacity. Consequently, the connec-
tion with the alternative detail was able to meet the requirements of the
special moment resisting connections according to AISC341-16 [23].
The initial stiffness of the connection was 27,126 kN-m/rad. The com-
parison of the hysteresis moment-rotation curves of the RBS-H and
RBS-V joints confirms that replacing the horizontal diaphragms in the
box-columns with a vertical stiffener in the column axis had a slight in-
fluence on the global performance of the beam-column connection (see
Fig. 19).
The test observations and the measured strains in the specified
stations at different levels of beam rotation are illustrated in
Figs. 20 and 21, respectively. Considering the moment-rotation
curve as well as the measured strains and performance of the test
specimen, the connection remained elastic up to the rotation of
around 0.01 rad (see Fig. 20-a). Further rotation of the beam started
the plastic strain and led to the development of whitewash flaking on
the beam flanges in the RBS zone. The strain gauge 3 mounted in this
region confirmed the yielding of the top flange of the beam. The plas-
tic strain in the beam was enhanced by increasing the displacement
amplitude up to the beam rotation of 0.04 rad. As is shown in
Fig. 20-c and -d, excessive whitewash flaking was confirmed with
the measured strain in the RBS region which showed strains up to
around 4 times as much as the steel yield strain. Despite some rela-
tively minor yielding of the beam flange next to the column face as
recorded with strain gauges 2 and 3, the measured strain was much
less than that of the RBS-H connection. However, comparing the
data from the strain gauges on the specimen and the test observa-
tions confirm that the plastic hinge was concentrated in the RBS re-
gion. It should be noted that although some minor whitewash
flaking in the column web in the level of the beam flanges was ob-
served, the strain gauges did not show yielding at these stations.
Finally, the inspection of the groove welds in the test specimen indi-
cated that no weld fracture occurred in these regions (Fig. 22).
Fig. 19. Comparing the hysteresis moment-rotation curves of the RBS-H and RBS-V specimens.
3. Numerical study
To further evaluate the efficiency of the proposed detail in connec-
tions with various geometrical properties, a numerical FE study was
done. For this purpose, first, the model was validated using the results
of the experimental study. Then, a parametric study was conducted to
assess the behavior of the proposed alternative detail in connections
with different beam and column dimensions.
3.1. Validation of the FE model
To validate the FE model and to ensure the accuracy of its results,
both tested connections (RBS-H and RBS-V) were simulated in the FE
software ABAQUS [40] and analyzed under cyclic loading. The details
of the conducted numerical modeling procedure of the connections
are explained subsequently.
• Constitutive material model for steel
According to the material tests conducted in the experimental study
and presented in Section 2.2, the stress-strain curves corresponding to
the different parts of the specimens along with the key mechanical
properties were available. Consequently, to define the uniaxial stress-
strain curve for different parts of the models, the measured mechanical
properties (i.e. the yield stress and ultimate strength) as well as the cor-
responding strains were employed. In addition, von Mises yield crite-
rion were utilized to simulate the nonlinear behavior of the models
under multi-axial stress states.
Furthermore, although no local buckling was observed in the test
specimens up to the last cycle of the loading protocol, an initial imper-
fection of 0.001 L was defined for the models to find out any local buck-
ling in the numerical model.
• Geometry of the models and element types
The geometrical dimensions and fabrication details of the connec-
tions (Figs. 7 and 8) were followed for the simulation of the joints.
The FE models of the connections are illustrated in Fig. 23. A quadratic
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 13

Fig. 20. Observed behavior of the specimen RBS-V, a- 0.01 rad, b- 0.02 rad, c- 0.03 rad, d- 0.04 rad.

Fig. 21. The measured strains corresponding to different loading cycles in connection RBS-V.
14 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952

Fig. 22. The beam to column groove welds at the end of the test.

20-node solid element (denoted as C3D20R) with three translational
Degrees of Freedom (DOF) in each node was employed for the analysis
of the connections. Following a mesh sensitivity analysis, the element
sizes ranging from 10 mm to 20 mm were used. In total, around
39,000 elements and 155,000 nodes were generated for the analysis of
each connection (see Fig. 23-a). It should be noted that since no defect
and failure was observed in the welds during the tests and the quality
of welding was verified through frequent inspection and quality control
tests, the welds were not modeled as a separate part in the FE models.
Instead, the tie constraint in ABAQUS software was utilized.
• Loading and boundary conditions
The restrained DOFs in the FE model to simulate the boundary con-
ditions of the test specimens are illustrated in Fig. 23-b. As described in
the test program, a pair of pins were put at the top and bottom faces of
the column. Hence, all of the translational DOFs of the two lines perpen-
dicular to the plane of the connection at the top and bottom faces of the
column were restrained. To model the lateral support, the correspond-
ing nodes were restrained against out-of-plane translation. The dis-
placement cyclic loading was also applied to the beam tip following
the loading protocol employed in the experimental study.
• Analysis results
The results of the nonlinear analysis of both the RBS-H and RBS-V
connections are presented in terms of hysteresis moment-rotation
curves as well as distribution of the plastic strain in the models. As
shown in Fig. 24, the comparison of the hysteresis moment-rotation
curves obtained from the numerical and experimental studies shows
the acceptable agreement of the results. The numerical model not only
was able to predict the ultimate strength but also simulated the connec-
tion behavior reasonably in linear and nonlinear phases.
Comparing the distribution and development of the plastic strains in
different levels of the lateral drift with the test observations confirms

Fig. 23. The FE model of the specimens, a- The generated elements, b- The boundary conditions and loading defined in the FE model
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 15

Fig. 24. Comparing the hysteresis moment-rotation curves obtained from the numerical study and the tests, a- RBS-H connection, b- RBS-V connection.

Fig. 25. Plastic strain distribution and development in the RBS-H connection at different levels of beam rotation, a- 0.015 rad, b- 0.02 rad, c- 0.03 rad, d- 0.04 rad.
16 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952

Fig. 26. Plastic strain distribution and development in the RBS-V connection at different levels of beam rotation, a- 0.015 rad, b- 0.02 rad, c- 0.03 rad, d- 0.04 rad.

Table 2
The geometrical details of the connections in the numerical study.

Connection Column size, Column flange Beam flange width, Detail of column
bcf (mmxmm) thickness, tcf (mm) bbf (mm) stiffener

RBS-B-300-280 300 × 300 20 280 None

RBS-H-300-280 Continuity plate
RBS-V-300-280 Vertical stiffener
RBS-B-400-200 400 × 400 25 200 None
RBS-H-400-200 Continuity plate
RBS-V-400-200 Vertical stiffener
RBS-B-400-280 400 × 400 25 280 None
RBS-H-400-280 Continuity plate
RBS-V-400-280 Vertical stiffener
RBS-B-400-340 400 × 400 25 340 None
RBS-H-400-340 Continuity plate
RBS-V-400-340 Vertical stiffener
RBS-B500-280 500 × 500 30 280 None
RBS-H-500-280 Continuity plate
RBS-V-500-280 Vertical stiffener
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 17

Fig. 27. Hysteresis moment-rotation curves of the connections.

the ability of the FE model in simulating the behavior of the connections in
the nonlinear phase. As illustrated in Figs. 25 and 26 and as observed in the
tests, the beginning of yielding in the RBS-H specimen occurred on the
beam flange at the rotation of around 0.015 rad. By increasing the lateral
drift, plastic strains developed in the RBS region and in the depth of the
beam. Finally, at the rotation of 0.04 rad, the beam section yielded
completely and the plastic hinge formed. No local buckling was observed
in the numerical model. A similar trend occurred in the RBS-V connection
where no plastic strain was observed in the test specimen up to the beam
rotation of 0.015 rad. By further increasing the beam's rotation, the plastic
strains which were concentrated in the RBS zone developed.
3.2. Parametric study
To assess the influence of effective geometrical variables on the seis-
mic performance of beam to box-column moment connections with the
18 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952
proposed stiffening detail, a parametric study was conducted by means
of a verified FE model. The details of the investigated connections and
analysis results are presented in the subsequent sections.
3.2.1. Defining the models in the parametric study
The column flange dimensions (width (bcf) and thickness (tcf)) as
well as the beam flange width (bbf) were considered as geometrical
variables which can affect the efficiency of the proposed detail. For
this purpose, square box columns with side dimensions of 300 mm,
400 mm, and 500 mm were considered. According to the seismic pro-
visions of ASCE 341-16 [23], the beams and columns of special MRFs
must be seismic compact to minimize the probability of local buck-
ling in the section components. Therefore, the thicknesses of the
box-columns were considered equal to 20 mm, 25 mm, and 30 mm
for the columns with the side dimensions of 300 mm, 400 mm, and
500 mm, respectively. To investigate the influence of the beam flange
width on the seismic behavior of the connections, beams with three
flange widths of 200 mm, 280 mm, and 350 mm but with the same
moment capacity obtained by tuning the RBS dimensions were
used. In each case, a connection with an unstiffened panel zone was
analyzed to show the crucial role of the continuity plates and to con-
firm the necessity of an appropriate alternative detail for continuity
plates. A summary of the properties of the investigated connections
and their designations is listed in Table 2.
3.2.2. Analysis results
The hysteresis moment-rotation curves of the investigated connec-
tions are plotted in Fig. 27. In each diagram, the curves corresponding
to stiffened connections (with common continuity plates and a vertical
stiffener) and an unstiffened one are presented. The plastic moment
strengths of the beams are also specified on the diagrams.
Fig. 28. Plastic strain distribution in the connections at the rotation of 0.04 rad, a- RBS-B-400-200, b- RBS-H-400-200, c- RBS-V-400-200.
In almost all cases, the beams of the bare connections did not
reach their plastic flexural strength. According to the strain distribu-
tion in the bare joints at the story drift angle of 0.04 rad, the column
flanges experienced yielding accompanied by excessive flexural out-
of-plane deformations. This was more significant in the connections
with larger bcf /bbf. For instance, the developed plastic strain in the
column flange is well demonstrated in Fig. 27-a for the RBS-B-400-
200 connection with the highest bcf /bbf (2.0) among the studied
models. This phenomenon in unreinforced connections confirms
the necessity of an appropriate stiffening detail for box columns in
moment resisting connections.
Moreover, the analysis results of the stiffened connections with
both of the abovementioned techniques in terms of the moment-
rotation curves and plastic strain distribution confirm their satisfac-
tory cyclic behavior as special moment resisting connections.
According to Fig. 27, the stiffened connections were able to reach
the plastic flexural strength of the beam with no strength degrada-
tion up to the drift of 0.04 rad. Additionally, although in using the
two strategies there was a minor difference in strain distribution in
the stiffened connections, their global performance was almost the
same. Considering the strain distribution in the stiffened connections
that are presented in Fig. 28-b and -c for RBS-H-400-200 and RBS-V-
400-200, respectively, the plastic strain was mostly concentrated in
the RBS region which is expected in special moment connections.
Accordingly, unlike the unreinforced models, in the stiffened connec-
tions the peak flexural strain in the beam flange occurred in the RBS
region. Additionally, the analysis results showed that no plastic
strain developed in the panel zone of the stiffened connections.
Moreover, comparing the distribution of the shear stress in the
column webs and the vertical stiffener, showed that the shear force
induced in the vertical stiffener was around 50% to 65% of the total
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952 19

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

Fig. 29. Plastic strain distribution over the beam flange at the rotation of 0.04 rad, a- RBS-H-400-200, b- RBS-V-400-200, c- RBS-H-400-280, d- RBS-V-400-280, e- RBS-H-400-340, f- RBS-V-
400340.

shear force that was transferred in the panel zone. The proportions of
the shear force in the vertical stiffener and the column web
depended on some geometrical ratios such as bcf/bbf and bcf/tcf.
The plastic strain distributions over the beam flange are plotted for
stiffened (with vertical stiffener and horizontal continuity plates) con-
nections with column size of 400 mm, see Fig. 29 Accordingly, in the
vertically stiffened connections, the plastic strain in the RBS region
was more than that developed near the column face. Furthermore, the
average plastic strain over the beam flange has been plotted in Fig. 30.
Accordingly, in almost all connections, the peak plastic strain was in
the RBS region.
4. Conclusions
An alternative detail for common continuity plates in steel beam to
box-column moment resisting connections, inspired from continuity
plate provisions of boxed wide-flange columns, was proposed in this
study. In this regard, instead of horizontal continuity plates, a vertical
20 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952

Fig. 30. Plastic strain distribution along the beam axis, a- RBS-H-400-200, b- RBS-V-400-200, c- RBS-H-400-280, d- RBS-V-400-280, e- RBS-H-400-340, f- RBS-V-400-340

column stiffener was employed in the panel zone. In addition, to ensure
the occurrence of plastic strain concentration at a certain distance from
the column face, the RBS detail was used.
To assess the efficiency of the proposed technique, cyclic tests
were conducted on two full-scale exterior isolated joints (one
with common horizontal continuity plates known as a code-based
detail and the other one with a vertical stiffener as the proposed de-
tail). In addition, a numerical study was carried out to investigate
the performance of the proposed stiffening method in connections
with various geometrical properties. The major findings of this
study are presented as follows:
1- The test results in terms of the moment-rotation curves, measured
strains at key stations, and test observations indicated that the alter-
native stiffener was able to transfer properly the induced internal ac-
tions in the panel zone and the connection was able to survive the
story drift angle of 0.04 rad with no strength degradation and unde-
sirable brittle fracture in the groove welds. In other words, the
 M.A. Najafgholipour et al. / Journal of Constructional Steel Research 167 (2020) 105952
connection with a vertical column stiffener meets the requirements
of special steel moment resisting connections.
2- The test observations and the measured strains in both connections
indicated that the plastic strain was mostly concentrated in the RBS
zone where the strain on the beam flange reached up to at least 4
times as much as the yield strain of steel.
3- Considering the welding procedure of the two stiffening strategies
shows that the alternative vertical stiffener is more practical than
common continuity plates in built-up box columns.
4- The results of the numerical study on unstiffened joint by using a
validated FE model confirmed the need of an appropriate stiffen-
ing detail for the panel zone of the box columns. In unreinforced
connections, a significant yielding of the column flange accompa-
nied by excessive flexural out-of-plane deformations was ob-
served preventing the beams from reaching their plastic flexural
strength. This phenomenon was more prominent in connections
with higher bcf/bbf.
5- The results of the numerical study on the connections designed with
different values of bcf/bbf and stiffened using the proposed detail con-
firmed their acceptable performance up to at least the rotation of
0.04 rad.
6- The proposed detail is applicable to one-way moment resisting
frames in its present form. Therefore, further investigations are re-
quired for utilizing it in two-way steel moment-frames.
Declaration of Competing Interest
None.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Tir &
Setoon Pars Industrial Company (T.S.P) for fabricating the full scale test
specimens. The assistance of Mr. Etemadi is highly appreciated.
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