Friction-Slip Connections for Moment Frames with Continuous Beams

This paper presents an assessment on a friction-slip connection for moment frameswith continuous beams based on the current detail. It also proposes a new configurationfor rigid connections in moment frames with continuous beams, whichcan be developed as a friction-slip connection. In conventional moment frames,beams are placed between two adjacent columns and connected to the columnflanges faces. However, in moment frames with continuous beams, two beams arecontinuously passed next to the column. In the existing practice for connections inthese frames, two vertical connection plates placed on column flanges, and thebeams are connecting to these plates via their wings. In the mentioned detail, it wasassumed that the load transfers with in-plane action between connection platesand column; therefore, the design force is pure shear, and based on the designprocedure, it should have been able to be developed for a friction-slip connection.However, the results showed that the out-of-plane action of RPLs could be significant;although this action provides extra capacity in moment connections, itis not desirable in friction connections due to changes in the developed forcesin pretension bolts. Based on this action, a locking occurs, which changes theperformance of the connection considerably. As an alternative to this detail, a newconfiguration is proposed in this paper, which can also be used as a friction-slip connection and provides a friction connection in moment frames with continuousbeams. In new detail, by eliminating the effect of connection plate thickness, thefriction joint works as expected. Thus, instead of the plastic behavior of structuralelements, these friction joints can be used as an energy-dissipating system.

Keywords:

Friction-slip connection , Bolted connection , Continuous beams , Moment frame