NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE BEHAVIOR OF BOLTED STAINLESS-STEEL BEAM-TO-COLUMN JOINT

Abstract

This study presents a numerical investigation into the moment-rotation behavior of bolted stainless-steel beam-to-column joints using Finite Element (FE) modeling in ABAQUS, validated against experimental data. A series of numerical models is developed to assess the influence of angle cleat thickness (t_a), angle cleat leg length (L) parallel to the column flange, and column flange thickness (t_c) on joint performance. The results demonstrate that increasing ta from 10 mm to 16 mm enhances the maximum moment capacity (M_u) by 18.0%, indicating a significant improvement in load resistance. Conversely, extending L from 80 mm to 140 mm reduces M_u by 16.1%, while increasing rotational capacity by 80.4%, highlighting improved deformation capacity before failure. Changes in t_c exhibit a relatively minor effect, with a negligible influence on overall joint strength. These findings provide critical insights into the design and optimization of stainless steel connections, contributing to the development of more efficient and reliable structural applications.