| Lightweight steel beam-column end-plate connection is a popular joint, have an excellent energy dissipating mechanism, which can provide more capacity for yielding and ductility, belong to semi-rigid connections, become the hotspot of research and application at present. Because of the geometry complexity of bolted beam-column end-plate connections, the strength models presented in the past few decades can not predict the ultimate strength of end-plate connection in a satisfactory precision, and the most Research is base on common steel structure. So research of lightweight steel beam-column end-plate connection is not only significant for theoretical aspect, but also important in practice. Using the general finite element programming package of ANSYS6.1, The study of lightweight Steel beam-column end-plate connections is made, considering synthetically nonlinear (material, geometry and contact),bolt pretension forces and ratio of axial compression stress to strength. Elastic-plastic finite element analyses are carried out among 15 species of 5 series under monotonic and cyclic loads , in order to discuss the influence of parameters including friction coefficients, bolt diameter, column axis forces, stiffness of end plate, panel zone and so on. The main scopes of this paper include Elastic-plastic finite element analyses are carried out between monotonic load and cyclic loads in order to study the similar and the different aspects and reveal organic relationship each other. The main scopes of this paper includes:(1) Carrying capacity of connections and initial connection stiffness will be increasing, when the thickness of end-plate is increasing. Intercalating the rib stiffeners is better than adding the thickness of end-plate, when the thickness of end-plate is sameness. (2) Intercalating the rib stiffeners of web,end-plate and reinforcement plate will greatly enhance carrying capacity of connections and initial connection stiffness. (3) Friction coefficients and bolt diameter have little effect on the joint. Increasing friction coefficients and bolt diameter, ductility and plastic rotation will reduce. (4) Ratio of axial compression stress to strength is also an important factor, it is less than 0.6 logically. Stiffness of end plate and the rib stiffeners are the primary factors in this paper, in the aseismatic design of joints , intercalating the rib stiffeners of web is needed, adding the rib stiffeners of end-plate and reinforcement plate of the column flanges ,web is appropriate. At the same time, end-plate is not appropriate too thick to deformable. The exact finite element analysis and research are conducted about the behavior and failure mechanism of the lightweight steel beam-column end-plate connections in this paper, which provide significant information and reference to develop the theory of steel beam-column connections and their design method, and to explore new forms of connections. |
