ABSTRACT
This paper presents the results of full-scale tests of welded beam-to-column subassemblies having two types of improved connection details: i.e., the reduced beam section (RBS) detail adopted in the US and the no weld access hole detail adopted in Japan. Major findings obtained from the tests are summarized as follows. (1) Both types of improved connection details successfully prevented premature fracture of the welds and the surrounding base metal regions, indicating significantly larger plastic rotation capacity compared to the conventional details. (2) Both types of connection details exhibited nearly identical energy dissipation capacity, although the strength of the RBS detail is about 20 % smaller than the strength of the no weld access hole detail. This observation is derived from plastic strain distributions along the beam length as well as from contributions of the beam plastic rotation to the story drift.
