Monotonic and hysteretic behaviour of bolted endplate beam-to-column joints

Semi-rigid frame design is one of the major developments in the structural design of steel and composite steel-concrete buildings. A vital requisite of this approach is the capability of approximating the response of beam-to-column joints. As to this aspect, the component method is increasingly accepted as a powerful and reliable tool. While its use for design under static loads is supported by many studies, its application to seismic design was not extensively investigated. This paper intends to discuss the main outcomes of a research work of the cyclic behaviour of end plate joints and their T-stub components. These results allow the component method to be appraised. Finally, possible future developments are outlined.