Numerical study on seismic behavior of H-beams with wing plates for bolted beam–column connections

Many experiments have been studied for bolted beam–column connections for past years to prevent the demerit of welding at the site. Wing plates welded at beam ends of bolted beam–column connections in CFT structures have been studied experimentally by authors to ensure that plastic hinges are away from the welding. This paper studies the effect of wing plates numerically by simulating H-beams in bolted beam–column connections as cantilever beams using ABAQUS. Through convergence and cyclic loading analyses, simulation agrees well with the experimental results. The brittle failure due to developed crack can be predicted once equivalent plastic strain exceeds the maximum plastic strain. From numerical results, the effect of wing plates is verified. Furthermore, suitable formulas for the width of wing plates are derived to prevent the brittle failure of beams. Consequently, it is suggested that the length and the width of wing plates in application should be designed by using the suggested design process proposed in this paper.