Advanced study of non-linear semi-continuous beam–column endplate connection and metal-decking floor modelling

• Steel beam–column connections modelled using FEM and validated with experimental data
• Stiffness and moment–rotation curves used to model the connections as link elements
• Linear link elements were found unreliable when the plastic state is reached.

An endplate beam–column connection was modelled with bilinear material properties using ANSYS finite element software to achieve the plastic state in order to obtain the moment–rotation curve and the rotational stiffness, which were validated with laboratory testing performed by Abidelah et al. (2012). Those results were used to model a rotational link element with both linear and non-linear material properties (taking into account the stiffness only and the moment–rotation curve, respectively) to model the connection in a one-span composite metal decking floor (a beam between two columns) and results were then compared.