9501449 Schneider This is a career award for young engineering investigators.The object of this project is to develop practical and economical alternative details for the fully welded and the partially- constrained moment-resisting connection. Clearly, from the observed performance of steel connections during the Northridge earthquake, it is essential to provide ductility for the bottom flange. Therefore, this research proposes several viable connection alternatives to be investigated analytically and experimentally. Results from the one-year Northridge research program will be used to determine appropriate prototype frames and appropriate structural steel sizes for testing. The primary focus of the research is the experimental performance of alternate details for steel beam-to column connections. A series of large-to full-scale near-real-time cyclic deformation tests will be performed on tee-shaped beam-column specimens using a 110 kip hydraulic actuator to deform the tip of the cantilevered beam. Deformations will be imposed at approximately the same frequency as a beam-to column joint might experience during the seismic vibration of a structural frame. Also a series of earthquake simulator tests will be conducted to investigate true dynamic behavior of the joints. Results from this research will have a great impact within the earthquake engineering comity. The near-real time full-scale tests will begin to resolve some of the differences between joint damage noted after the Northridge earthquake and typical joint performance observed in the laboratory. Connection alternatives will be tested in an effort to improve the ductility of the connection, and relieve some of the high stress concentrations associated with the highly confined region of the joint. ***
