Experimental assessment of the semi-rigid connections behavior with angles and stiffeners

Experimental investigations were done on statically loaded beam-to-column connections that were designed with top-and-seat angles in minor column axes. This study was undertaken to analyze the influence of angles with and without stiffeners on the behavior of the beam-to-column connections. The aim was to provide necessary data to improve the Eurocode 3. While the rotation stiffness and capacity of the entire stiffener used beams decreased, the resistance moment increased. Moreover, the rotation capacity increased with the increased thickness of the top-and-seat angles.