Behaviour of shear tab connections in column removal scenario

Shear tabs are one of the simplest and the most cost-effective connections in steel frame construction and their behaviour under conventional loading has been well studied. However, their behaviour is highly complex under the scenario when an adjacent column is compromised and this is the subject of ongoing research. In this study, detailed finite element analyses of shear tab connections with three, four or five bolts are performed and the results are compared with available experiments. Characteristic phenomena of the connection, including rotational capacity and failure modes under the column removal scenario, are studied and discussed. The results are compared with available codes and guidelines and new equations are proposed that predict the rotational capacities of shear tab connections for progressive collapse analysis. The shear-axial-moment interaction curves for the connections under study are developed and examined, and conclusions are made based on the observed behaviour. The research uses high-fidelity finite element models of shear tab connections to study both load evolution and failure modes. These models shed more light on the performance and the sources of ductility in shear tab connections. The results can be used to select suitable connection modelling parameters for progressive collapse evaluations of steel frames with similar shear connections.