
2019 CSCE Annual Conference - Laval (Greater Montreal) Conference
Dr. Saber Moradi, Ryerson University
In this paper, a parametric study is conducted to evaluate the cyclic behavior of sloped Reduced Beam Section (RBS) connections. To this goal, finite element models are developed and verified using two sets of experimental studies. The verified models are used to carry out a sensitivity analysis in order to assess the significance of various parameters on the cyclic behavior of the RBS connections. Twenty design factors, which are either material or geometric related, are considered. The performance of the connections is assessed by comparing different response variables including initial stiffness, rupture index, equivalent plastic strain index, moment capacity, and rotation. The results show the relative importance of each factor on the cyclic behavior of the sloped RBS connections.