Seismic design of the double-cell accordion-web reduced beam section connection

The Accordion-Web Reduced Beam Section (AW-RBS) connection consists of a corrugated web, replacing the flat web, within a limited area near the column face, which reduces the beam flexural strength and forces the plastic hinge to form in the corrugated zone. This paper presents a seismic design procedure in the framework of the U.S. design standards for a double-cell AW-RBS connection, which consists of two box sections oriented such that an accordion web is formed within a limited area in the beam. The analytical evaluation of the flexural strength of the beam with a corrugated web was first presented. Then, a step-by-step design method was proposed to size the connection. Quasi-static cyclic tests were conducted on two relatively identical specimens including double-cell AW-RBS connections. A detailed numerical model of a connection with deep beams and columns designed in accordance with the proposed design procedure was developed and a nonlinear analysis was performed to investigate the seismic response of the connection and verify the adequacy of the proposed design method for the beam sizes frequently used in steel moment-resisting frames. The results confirmed the satisfactory response of the double-cell AW-RBS connection under cyclic loading. The stable plastic hinge formed in the reduced area of beams as predicted in design and no yielding was observed in the beam-to-column groove weld, The findings of the numerical simulations confirmed that the AW-RBS connection with deep beams and columns could potentially exceed the plastic rotation limit for ductile moment connections without significant instability and strength degradation.