ABSTRACT
The importance of welded connections on the behaviour of beam-to-column joints in steel moment resisting frames led to the developing of an experimental program focused on the behaviour of welding details. A number of 54 assembly specimens reproducing the beam-to-column welded joints have been tested. The experimental program considered the following parameters: strain-rate, steel grade, welding type (fillet, double bevel butt and single bevel butt welds) and loading type (monotonic and cyclic pulsating). It was found that mechanical properties such as yield strength and ultimate tensile strength, increase with increasing strain rate. Additionally, a reduction of ductility is present in the case of high strain rates for monotonic loading, which is an essential characteristic for an adequate seismic performance of beam-to-column joints. However, a decrease of ductility due to high strain rates is not so evident for cyclic loading, were the results are rather scattered.
