ABSTRACT
RBS connections were developed on the basis of a concept named “weakening”. With this concept, reduction of the beam section within a limited area in the vicinity of the column face, reduces the flexural strength of the beam compared to the other nearby sections and the plastic hinge is formed within this area away from the beam flange CJP welds. The localization of the plastic hinge reduces the fracture vulnerability of the beam-to-column CJP welds, and mitigates the other weak performances of welded beam-to-column connections of steel moment frames reported after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
