Seismic performance of reduced web section moment connections

Seismic behavior of beam-to-column connections can be improved by shifting the location of inelasticity away from the column's face. Such connections can be achieved by reducing the flange area at a specific distance from the beam-column connection, called reduced beam section (RBS), or by reducing web area by introducing a perforation into the web, called reduced web section (RWS). This paper presents a parametric study that is carried out on the effect of the perforation size, perforation location, and the beam span length in the RWS connections, using finite element modeling. Next, an interaction formula is derived for design purposes, and a step by step design method is developed. Finally, a frame is analyzed to verify the reliability of the proposed design process and assess the impact of the RWS connections on the behavior of special moment frames. The study concludes that RWS connections can effectively improve seismic performance of special moment frames, causing plastic hinges to form around the perforation away from the column's face.