ABSTRACT
Conventional analysis and design of steel frameworks are usually carried out under the assumption that the connections joining the beams to the columns are either fully rigid or ideally pinned. The rigid joint assumption implies that full slope continuity exists between the adjoining members, and that the full (or a substantial percentage of) gravity moment is transferred from the beam to the column. On the other hand, the assumption of ideally pinned connections implies that the beams will behave as simply supported members and that the columns will carry no gravity moments from the beams. Although the assumption of fully rigid or ideally pinned connection behavior drastically simplifies the analysis and design procedures, the validity of these assumptions may be questionable for cases in which the rigidities of the connections are intermediate between the fully rigid and ideally pinned cases. In fact, as evident from experimental observations, all connections used in current practice possess stiffnesses which fall between the extreme cases of fully rigid and ideally pinned.
