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Virginia Tech

Stiffener Design for Beam-to-Column Connections

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Stiffeners are used as a means of providing additional support to columns at beam connection locations. They are added when the strength of the column is exceeded but full moment strength of the beam section is desired. In determining the design of column stiffeners, there are no specifications for determining the distribution of load between the column web and stiffeners. The AISC Load and Resistance Factor Design Specifications provides guidelines for determining the stiffener area but no specifications are given. The actual loads taken by the stiffener and web are therefore not truly known. In this study, experiments were done to determine the load supported by the stiffeners and web when tensile forces are applied to the specimen. The initial stiffener design for the test specimens was based on LRFD guidelines. The actual load distribution between the column web and stiffeners is determined from strain data obtained during testing. This distribution is compared with the assumed loads obtained from the initial LRFD calculations. Finite element analysis is also utilized to confirm the consistency of the results obtained from the experiments. Using this information, a new method is developed which better predicts the distribution of load between the column web and the stiffener.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Civil Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Civil Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1999

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Holland, Michelle Leigh
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Murray, Thomas M.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Easterling, William Samuel
  • Holzer, Siegfried M.

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-100599-150238
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/35305

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Holland, Michelle Leigh. Stiffener Design for Beam-to-Column Connections. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35305