ABSTRACT
An investigation into the behaviour of composite column-to-beam connections using experimental and analytical techniques is currently being conducted, the main objective of which is the development of a deterministic procedure for the connections design. Seven large-scale connections have been tested, four under monotonic loading and three under cyclic loading. All connections consisted of a concrete-filled steel tubular column (circular), a compact universal beam (class 1 to Eurocode 3) and a shop fabricated connection stub. Four reinforcing bars were welded to the top and bottom flanges of the beam and embedded into the concrete core, and each specimen had different bars and embeddment details. It was found that connection strength increased as the capacity of the embedded bars increased, to a stage where no connection failure occurred, and the beam formed a plastic hinge outside the zone of influence of the bars. This mode of specimen response gave improved cyclic response characteristics and superior flexural ductility response limits compared to those which underwent yielding in the connection itself.
