Investigation of Flexural Behavior of Stiffened Bolted Semi Rigid Connections in Steel Frames

In this paper, the effect of stiffeners on static behavior of semi rigid beam to column bolted connections in steel frames was investigated. Also, finite element models of semi rigid stiffened bolted connections were made and compared with experimental results. In the analytical models, the material and end plate-column flange contact nonlinearities and geometrical discontinuities were taken into account. The results of parametric analyses by using ABAQUS were presented and the effect of various parameters on tension force distribution in bolt row, rotational stiffness and flexural durability were investigated. Due to the effects on flexural durability, rotational stiffness and connection behavior, it is necessary to consider the effects of panel zone and end plate stiffeners in design method.