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Virginia Tech

Strength and Stiffness of Weak-Axis Moment End-Plate Connections

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Three full-scale experimental tests were conducted to investigate the strength and stiffness of weak-axis moment end-plate connections. Each test consisted of two girders connected to a column web with four-bolt extended moment end-plates. Two tests were conducted with bare steel. One test included a composite concrete slab that confined the top extension of the end-plate. Finite element models of the tests were created with the commercial software SAP2000. A simplified modeling procedure was developed to overcome the contact problems between the end-plates and column web, and between the bolts and holes in the end-plates and web. The simplified modeling procedure accurately predicted the experimental elastic stiffness, in the form of column web rotations, of the connections. Yield line theory was used to investigate the plastic strength of the column web. Several yield line patterns were examined. Analytical plastic moment strengths were very conservative when compared to the observed behavior of the column web. The experimental stiffness of the test with the concrete slab confining the top extension of the end-plate was compared to the stiffness of a similar test without a slab. The slab increased the elastic stiffness of the connection; however, after the concrete began cracking and crushing around the connection, the stiffness was greatly decreased.

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
2004

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Dominisse, Kyle Richard
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Murray, Thomas M.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Plaut, Raymond H.
  • Easterling, William Samuel

Subjects

dc:subject × 8

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-12122004-215222
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/46194

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

Dominisse, Kyle Richard. Strength and Stiffness of Weak-Axis Moment End-Plate Connections. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/46194