New proposals on the calculation of the flexural resistance in angle connections

In this paper, beam-to-column top and seat angle connections with double web angle are considered. It is commonly known that angle connections have highly nonlinear behavior and Eurocode 3 does not specifically consider them. Moreover, the general procedure for calculating the connection flexural resistance by means of component methodology is very complex. Designers in the European zone do not use this semi-rigid typology. Therefore, in the case of beam-to-column angle connections, using a simplified procedure for design could be very helpful.This paper presents a methodology that improves other existing simplified proposals. This approach takes into account that resistance mainly depends on angles and that the web angle collapse mechanism can be predicted for closed bolt rows. The proposed method is based on finite element parametric studies. These studies have been carried out in order to determine the distance between the plastic hinges developed in the top angle. Experimental tests for determining the behavior of this type of connection have been performed. The proposed method has been validated with these tests and experimental results extracted from the literature.

Research highlights► Beam to column top and seat angle connections with double web angle are studied. ► Experimental tests of this type of connection have been performed. ► A simplified methodology for evaluating flexural resistance has been proposed.► Analytical expressions have been proposed for obtaining the value of parameter mm. ► EC3 underestimates the resistance of this type of connection.