Seismic Design of Steel Box Column to I-Beam Connections

Department of Civil Engineering

Rupen Goswami

Introduction: Hot rolled I-sections are most commonly used as beams and columns in steel
moment resisting frame (MRF) buildings. Tubular box sections can also be used as columns. These
closed box sections have additional rigidity against torsion and higher buckling strength compared
to the open I-sections. Further, when additional axial strength is required, these box sections can
easily be filled with concrete to provide the same.
However, there are some inherent difficulties in using box columns in MRFs; particularly the
connections between the box columns to I-beams pose a major challenge. Flanges of box columns
are more flexible than those of conventional I-sections which lead to local flange and weld failures.
Further, the column webs not being coplanar with the beam web renders them to be ineffective with
additional demand on the column flange. Thus, beam plastic moment capacity mobilization, which
is essential for good seismic performance of MRFs, is not achieved and cause poor energy
dissipation at the joints. Thus, the major challenges in using box columns are to ensure a smooth
force transfer path from the beam to column webs, and to force plastic actions into the beam away
from the column face. This will also prevent any local or weld failure.

Conventional I-Column

Box Column

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Box Columns in Steel Buildings

Why Box Columns?

- Higher torsional resistance
- Higher buckling strength
- Higher axial strength

Concrete filled

Difficulties
- Flexible column flange

:
:

Local flange failure

:
:

Column web ineffective

Weld failure
- Column webs not
coplanar with beam web
Large demand on flange
- Beam plastic capacity

Desired seismic behaviour

Plastic hinge formation at beam ends & column base

not achieved

Poor energy dissipation

Challenges
- Critical section at
column face
- Connection also at

Joint
Subassemblage

Story
Subassemblage

column face

Ensure plastic actions

to be away from column
face prior to any local
& weld failure

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Improve force transfer

from beam to column webs

Present Study
Conceptual Design
Initial inelastic finite element (FE) analysis using ABAQUS [HKS, 2005] of box column to I-beam
welded connections with conventional design practice around the world [e.g., ANSI/AISC 358-05],
involving welded continuity plates at the beam flange levels, confirms that (i) beam nominal plastic
moment is not reached in such connections, and (ii) there are severe stress concentrations at the reentrant corners at the column face causing yielding of welds. Thus, a collar plated, inclined rib plated
connection scheme is proposed to facilitate smooth force flow path. Additional web plates are also
provided to further reduce stress concentrations at the column face. A comprehensive design
guideline is also developed for the design of the connection elements and welds.

Present Study
Conceptual Design
- Flow of forces

Collar Plate

Box Column

Continuity
Plate
I - Beam

Inclined Rib Plate

Web
Plate

Current Design

Proposed Design

India, Japan, America

Beam Plastic Moment NOT achieved
Stress concentration at re-entrant corners

Beam Plastic Moment achieved

No re-entrant corners: Smooth force flow path

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Analysis
To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed connection scheme, first, a joint subassemblage
investigation is done. An exterior box column to I-beam joint is considered with 3 m long 45045022
box column and 3.5 m long 6122021323 I-beam. Material specifications, geometry and boundary
conditions are taken from a reference work [Kim and Oh, 2007]. Monotonic inelastic FE analyses
results of moment-rotation characteristics of joint subassemblages using the conventional and
proposed designs are compared with experimental result using the conventional design.
FE analysis result of subassemblage with conventional design closely matches the experimental
result. Cyclic FE analyses shows enhanced strength and stiffness along with 29% more plastic
energy dissipation by the joint subassemblage with proposed design as compared to the one with
conventional design. Further, von Mises stress contour of joint subassemblage with proposed
design shows formation of plastic hinge away from the column face with welds and connection
elements remaining elastic during the full load history.
Similar observations were made from analyses results of a storey subassemblage involving an
exterior and interior box column with beams with the two designs; the proposed design produced
higher strength, stiffness and 30% more plastic energy dissipation compared to the current design.
Also, plastic hinge was forced away from the column face and all connection elements and welds
remained elastic throughout the load history. Further, local failure of column flange was not
observed.

References :
1. HKS, (2005), ABAQUS/Standard User's Manual, Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc., RI, USA.
2. ANSI/AISC 358-05, (2005), Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel
Moment Frames for Seismic Applications, American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc., Illinois,
USA.
3. Kim, Y.-J., and Oh, S.-H., (2007), Effect of the moment transfer efficiency of a beam web on
deformation capacity at box column-to-H beam connections, Journal of Constructional Steel
Research, Vol. 63, No. 1, pp. 24-36.

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Analysis
- Joint Subassemblage

2000
2000

Analysis

Moment (kNm)
1500
1500
1000
1000
500
500

Rotation (rad)
-0.06

-0.06

-0.04

-0.04

-0.02

-0.02

0.02

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.04

0.06

-500
-500

Experiment
-1000
-1000
Kim & Oh, JCSR, 63(1), 2007

Current Design

-1500
-1500

High stress concentration at column face

-2000
-2000

2.02

Normalised Shear
Beam Plastic

1.01

Capacity
Drift (%)
-5 -4.0
-4
-5.0

-3 -2.0
-2
-3.0

0.0
-1 00.0
-1.0

Current

Proposed Design

Design

Plastic hinge away from column face

-1
-1.0

Proposed Design

Connection elements & welds remain elastic

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(29% more plastic energy)

-2
-2.0

1
1.0

2
2.0

3
3.0

4
4.0

5
5.0

- Story Subassemblage

Current Design

Proposed Design

High stress concentration at column face

Plastic hinge away from column face

Connection elements & welds remain elastic

33

Normalised Story Shear

22
11

-5

-4

-5

-4

-3

-3

-2

-2

-1

-1

Drift (%)
0

-1-1
Current Design

-2-2
Proposed Design
-3
(30% more plastic energy) -3

Conclusions

Inelasticity moved away from column face

- Local failure of column flange & weld failure eliminated
- Stresses in connection elements in elastic range

Seismic response improved

- Moment capacity increased
- Stiffness increased

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