Collapse behaviour of sway frames with end-plate connections

Abstract

A test program consisting of 10 frame specimens loaded to collapse at the National University of Singapore as part of the broad investigation on "analysis and design of semi-rigid frames" has been completed and briefly reported in Liew et al. (1997). This paper provided the details of three test specimens and describes the test observations of the sway frames under the combined actions of gravity and lateral loads. The load-deformation responses of the test frames and their connections under sequential and non-sequential loading are determined and compared with theoretical predictions. The moment-rotation characteristics of such connections are determined so that advanced analysis can be carried out and compared with the test results to determine if the ultimate load carrying capacity and load-deflection characteristics of such frames can be predicted by the proposed analysis method. This paper focuses the discussion on three of the frame specimens constructed using extended end plate connections. Comparison of test results with second-order refined plastic hinge analysis and Eurocode are made using the moment-rotation characteristics of individual beam-to-column connections established through tests. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.