Characterization of RHS-IPE beam-column joints

Resumen

One of the main priorities of research when referring to steel structures inthe recent years has been the characterization of structural joints. This is dueto the great importance of a good knowledge of their resistance and the factthat they behave differently depending on the stiffness of the joint. It is veryimportant to implement the correct stiffness of the joint to carry out a reliablestructural analysis. Nevertheless, sometimes, it is not so easy to know theactual stiffness of a joint.The component method is the most important and widely recognizedtheoretical approach for the evaluation of the stiffness and resistanceproperties of a wide range of joint configurations. It has been adopted for steelstructures by Eurocode-3 as its main tool for the description of the behaviourof joints between H or I sections. The component method is a powerful toolto determine the performance of the connections in terms of strength andstiffness. It is the framework for many researches based on connections. Thedifficulty in studying altogether the elements and parameters that conditionthe connections is the reason for focusing on a part or component.The structural hollow sections are many times a very good proposal forcolumns in building structures. However, despite the clear advantages oftubular profiles, joints that involve structural hollow sections (RHS or CHS)have been traditionally excluded from the application of the componentmethod. It is obvious that the possibility of applying the component methodto this kind of joints would be a significant advance allowing as well theconsideration of semi rigid joints. A global saving would be reached addingto the possibility of using well characterized partially rigid joints, thus savingmaterial that may involve the use of tubular columns.The present project we are working on, intends to apply the componentmethod to joints involving square (SHS) or rectangular hollow sections (RHS)as tubular columns, due to their multiple economic and material savingadvantages. For the beam members a pair of IPE sections will be used due totheir excellent behaviour when bending is just in the vertical plane which is acommon situation in buildings. The research is presented in a comprehensiveway, initiating the process with the characterization of the components thatare identified in a RHS column as a part of a symmetrically loaded doublesided beam-to-column joint.