Full length articleDesign methodology for inclined continuity plate of panel zone

•A close form equation of ICP design was proposed.•Current AISC provisions can't predict ICP behavior due to Instability and out of plane buckling of ICP.•Seismic demand and capacity of ICP design were suggested.•Experimental evidences and numerical investigations demonstrated applicability of proposed design methodology.

This research aims to estimate the ultimate capacity and seismic demand of inclined continuity plate (ICP) connected to beams with unequal depths which are utilized in special moment resisting frames (SMRFs). Considering architectural issues, mostly two adjacent bays with different lengths are exerted in a structural framing, thus two beams with unequal depths are applied and lower ICP can be used to connect the bottom flanges of deep and shallow beams. Design method of ICP has not been addressed yet in structural design codes. Two full scale experiments were tested under standard cyclic loading, and more than 38 validated companion numerical analyses were performed in order to evaluate the seismic behavior of ICP. Furthermore, based on the experimental evidences, an analytical equation was developed for ICP capacity using plastic yield line mechanism theory. With regards to the consistent experimental, numerical and analytical results, a design methodology for ICP was verified. The results implied that current seismic provisions for straight continuity plates (CPs) cannot provide satisfactory criteria for designing ICP due to out of plane buckling behavior of ICP. The proposed closed-form equation could predict the ICP capacity with maximum error bounds less than 21% and the proposed design methodology could assure the acceptable seismic behavior of panel zone (PZ) with ICP.