Numerical Based Performance of UK Industry Standard Simple and/or Semi-rigid Steel Connections Subjected to Rapid Rotations

The majority of multistory steel framed buildings in the UK are designed such that the connections between the frame elements can be classified as 'simple' or 'semi-rigid'. Current UK design provisions relating to structural integrity and robustness for these types of connections do not currently incorporate dynamic effects such as inertia or strain rate sensitivity. A numerical study has been carried out on a typical UK beam-column simple connection, in which the supported beam connects into the web of the supporting column. The connection has been subjected to a rapid rotation using the finite element software package LS-DYNA. Results and discussion of the numerical study are presented herein; experimental validation of these results is currently being carried out.