ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: Full-scale girder specimens were designed to simulate the behavior of the positive moment section in a composite girder and maximize the strain demand on the tension flange. To examine the effect of yield-to-tensile-strength ratio, specimens were fabricated from 345-MPa and HPS-485 W steels. To examine the effect of holes in the tension flange, some of the specimens featured bolted splices. The rotational ductility in all these tests was greater than 3. Specimens with splices reached a moment on the net section that exceeded the gross-section plastic-moment capacity. A new criteria based on the plastic section modulus of the net section times the tensile strength consistently predicts the moment capacity of a beam cross section with holes.