Design formulation analysis for high strength steel welded beam-to-column joints

• EC3-1-8’s formulation for the components of the column panel is not valid for S690.
• η Parameter (shear area formulation) needs revising in case of high strength steel.
• ρ Parameter (instability formulation) needs revising in case of high strength steel.

The last generation of high performance steels encompasses significant advantages in terms of economy, architectural possibilities and environmental sustainability, featuring remarkable technological items. In spite of that, the market share it holds does not yet reflect its competitiveness. One of the most important reasons for that has to do with the due update of regulation codes. In Europe, not long ago EC3 would still limit its scope to S460. EC3 Part 1-12 bridges that gap, extending its scope to S700, but there are still many aspects that need to be looked into.The work presented in the present paper aims to contribute to that framework by assessing if the formulation in EC3 Part1-8, for stiffness and resistance of the column web panel components (shear, compression and tension) still holds in case of high strength steel.For that purpose a research program was set encompassing joint models made of S355 and S690 steel grade. Finite element numerical models were prepared and calibrated with experimental results from tests on full scale joint models.The EC3 bilinear curves for the referred components are compared with its equivalents obtained from calibrated numerical models. The adjustment between the two sets is commented in the light of the theoretical bases supporting the component method formulation. This analysis indicates which are the parameters that need adjustment in case of high strength steel, and how to go about the updating of EC3 formulation for the components of the column web panel in the case of high strength steel.