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Damage behavior of steel beam-to-column connections under inelastic cyclic loading

Brittle cracks were observed in the welded beam-to-column connections of steel frames during an earthquake. The crack propagation and accumulated damage to the connections can lead to fractures at much lower ductility ratios. Understanding the connections’ damage behavior during an earthquake is crucial for the design of steel moment frames in seismic areas. Nine full scale beam-to-column connections were tested under constant amplitude and variable amplitude cyclic loading. The effects of loading amplitude, loading history, and peak load on the connection damage were analyzed. The damage characters were studied and three damage evolution models were calibrated and validated based on test results. The damage mechanism was investigated and an effective plastic strain index was developed to evaluate connection damage based on a ductile fracture mechanism. A fatigue fracture mechanics-based model, for evaluating the damage process of beam-to-column connections under cyclic loading, was proposed.