Seismic self-centering steel beam-to-column moment connections using bolted friction devices

Abstract

This paper first presents the force-deformation relationship of a post-tensioned (PT) steel beam-to-column connection constructed with bolted web friction devices (FDs). This paper then describes the test program conducted in the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, Taiwan, on four bolted FDs and four full-scale PT beam-to-column moment connection subassemblies using the FDs. Tests confirm that (1) the hysteretic behavior of four bolted FDs is very stable, (2) the friction coefficient between the steel plate and the brass shim is about 0.34, (3) the proposed force-deformation relationships reasonably predict the experimental responses of the PT connections under cyclically increasing deformations up to a beam peak rotation of 0.05 rad, and (4) the decompression moments do not degrade as beam cyclic deformations increase. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.