Beam - Column Connections Subjected to Static and Dynamic Loading

Bolted beam-column connections are commonly used in office buildings and off-shore platforms in Norway. The use of pre-fabricated components in frame structures is popular due to the cost effective and quick erection of buildings, where engineered members can be manufactured with great accuracy in a controlled environment.In recent years, an increased awareness has been on the reliability of these connections in an extreme event, such as the loss of a load bearing column in a terrorist attack.A lack of study on bolted connections has been revealed, and a number of experimental programs have been initiated.The ability to transfer the forces through the joint is key to maintain the structural integrity and prevent a progressive collapse in a column removal scenario. In addition, sudden dynamic loading may cause a shift in the response behavior which is not captured by common design methods, which is often based on static conditions.Therefore, a test program was initiated to investigate the behavior of a bolted connection under rapid, non-cyclic loading in a column removal scenario. Full-scale experimental tests of a beam-column assembly were conducted under quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions.Simplified methods given in European design standards (Eurocode) as well as advanced numerical analyses were performed and compared directly to the experimental findings. The goal was to reveal possible implications on design of joints to extreme loads to improve the safety of structures.The experimental tests revealed that the assembly failed in flexure, typical for moment connections. This was true for both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions, and was predicted by the simplified design method and the numerical model. However, an overly safe estimate of the capacity was obtained by Eurocode's design method.Furthermore, rapid loading caused a shift in the response characteristics. The relative impact of shear forces was increased due to inertial resistance in the dynamic simulation. Therefore, further investigations into what type of load regime will cause a change from flexural to shear failure has been proposed for further work