Lateral impact response of end-plate beam-column connections

The behaviour of different steel beam to column connections has been studied intensively against static and seismic loading regimes. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the response of such connections against impact and blast. In order to close this gap, the most common connections with partially depth end plate (PDEPCs), as a simple connection, and flush plate (FPCs), as a moment resisting connection, were investigated under both quasi-static and impact loads. Here, eight specimens were tested under those loading conditions with different locations. 3 D finite element models were then developed and validated against the corresponding experimental results. Full range analyses of the connection responses under both loading regimes are then carried out using the validated FE models to examine the internal forces of the connections. Finally, the results of full analyses under both loading regimes were compared and dynamic increase factors (DIF) were proposed to assist predicting the impact response of these types of connections using the static analysis. The results showed that failure modes under both loading regimes were similar, but with the larger fracture on the PDEPC under quasi-static load than that under lateral impact. The DIFs were found to be between 1.02 and 1.21, 1.03 and 1.36 and 1.22 and 1.45 based on the bolt tensile strength, axial resistance and bending resistance of the connections, respectively. However, if based on the energy approach, the range of DIFs was recorded between 1.25 and 1.38 using the experimental results and between 1.19 and 1.34 using the finite element analysis results