Modelling and calibration of a beam-column joint based on modal data

A procedure to identify the dynamic behaviour of a bolted end-plate beam-column joint, based on modal data, has been developed in this paper. A finite element reference model comprising beams has been built with special emphasis on the modelling of the joints. The most uncertain parameters of the models are updated by minimizing the discrepancies between the analytical and the experimental natural frequencies of the model. The minimization is carried out through a novel stochastic adaptive method using only the values of a defined error function. The updated models were tested using modal tests performed on the specimen according to different boundary conditions and static tests.