Effect of Reduced Web Beam Section on the Stiffness of Moment Frames

This paper presents the development of a non-prismatic beam element for modeling the elastic behavior of steel beams with reduced beam section connections. The closed form stiffness matrix of a two-dimensional frame element with a radius symmetric web reduction is developed using virtual work considerations. Also results of parametric studies conducted on beam cantilever and six-story two-and three-bay moment frames subjected to seismic base shear are also presented and results compared with the results of finite-element method.

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KEY WORDS: frames , stiffness , finite element method , RBS connections.