EXPERIMENTAL TESTING OF STEEL T-STUB MACRO-COMPONENTS WITH FOUR BOLTS-PER-ROW

The classic configuration for beam-to-column connections in steel-frame buildings of two bolts-per-row is not only widely used but also extensively studied. It is therefore generally recognized the limitation of this type of connection in extreme loading situation where a certain level of structural robustness is necessary in order to avoid collapse. The paper reports an experimental study, performed on a wide geometrical range of steel joint macro-components with four bolts-per-row. These macro-components characterize the tensile area of an extended end-plate connection, which in many situations leads to brittle failure. The objective of this work is to investigate the behaviour of the four bolts-per-row configurations and to assess its behaviour in regards to the two bolts-per-row solutions.