Numerical simulation of cyclic load on end plate connection

Dimo Zhelev

(dimosiderov@abv.bg)

University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia, Bulgaria
Faculty of Structural Engineering
Department of Steel, Timber and Plastic Structures


ABSTRACT

The end plate connections are widely used for beam to column joints in steel frame
structure. A numerical simulation of a beam to column joint, loaded with cyclic load, is
made with general purpose software ANSYS APDL. For verification of the numerical
simulation, the numerical results will be compared with experimental results from article
of (Gang, et al., 2007). In this study the carrying capacity and hysteretic behavior of the
joint are found through numerical simulation.

INTRODUCTION

The end plate connection are a good variant of beam to column connection. Their
improvement from welded moment connection is that when designed properly there will
not occur stress in the welds, so brittle failure is not typical. A lot of experimental and
analytical research has been conducted on the behaviour and design method of steel
seismic moment connections, for example the SAC steel research project. The behavior
of the end plate connection depends on many variables: end plate and column flange
thickness, bolt diameter and grade, bolts spacing, shear panel thickness, presence of
column and end plate thickness. Despite of the a lot of experimental and analytical work
for investigating the extended end plate connection behavior for seismic application, not
all aspects are investigated.

In this study a numerical simulations with ANSYS APDL are made to confirm that
the plane finite elements used for plates and linear elements for bolts, with bilinear
kinematic material model of the steel components, leads to satisfactory result, compare
with the test results.

NUMER

Geome
pretensio

Finite el
(SHELL1
(LINK18
connecte
applied.
TARGE1
numerica

RICAL SIMU
etry
on force is
lements
181), the
80) for the
ed with the
For the co
170 and C
al simulatio
ULATION
according t
bolts are
threaded p
e shell ele
ontact betwe
ONTA174.
on faster for
to Figure 1
simulated
part and B
ment node
een the end
The bene
r computati
BEAM188
.
Figure
Genera
applied
connec
elemen
(KRISH
2008).
elemen
elemen
elemen
1994).
will b
with link
BEAM188 f
es by MPC
d plate and
fit of choos
on.
8
Figure 1 S
The steel
M20 and
are appli
thickness
connected
100mm on
2 Finite e
al purpose
d for this
ction mode
nts for the
HNAMURT
Shell elem
nts for the
nts for th
nts used
In the cu
be presen
element,
for the unt
C184. The
d the colum
sing these
Specimen
J D2
J D3
J D6
Specimen g
l is Q345,
M24. Co
ied, the
is 12mm,
d with th
n each side
lement type
software A
research.
el can be m
bolt and t
THY, 1978)
ments for t
bolt nut an
he bolt s
in (Sherb
urrent resea
ted as s
working o
hreaded pa
pretension
mn face are
elements
Bolts grade 1
M20 preten
199kN
M20 preten
199kN
M24 preten
283kN
geometry
the bolts
lumn stiffe
column fla
but in the
e beam
e is 20mm.
es
ANSYS APD
The end
made with
the steel p
, (Gang, e
he plates,
nd head, six
shank are
bourne, et
arch the p
shell elem
n tension
art. The bo
on the bo
used elem
is to make
10.9 End p
stiffen
nsion yes
nsion no
nsion yes
s are
eners
ange
part
plus
Bolt
DL is
plate
solid
plates
et al.,
solid
x link
the
al.,
plates
ments
only
olt is
olt is
ments
e the
plate
er
Material

For
hardenin
kinemati
bilinear k


The
on mono
modulus
appears
hardenin

Loading
The
to lock
the top

Yield stre
2
kN
cm

99.5
Yield stre
2
kN
cm

37.2
l models
r monotonic
ng. For cycl
ic hardenin
kinematic, w
e steel plat
otonic and
s of the ste
that the va
ng in bilinea
g and boun
e pretensio
the new le
as shown
ess Tang
2
kN
cm
205
ess Tang
2
kN
cm
188
c load the m
lic load a m
g. The stre
with values
tes are ma
cyclic load
eel is assu
alue of the
ar model in
ndary cond
on force in t
ength of th
on Figure
ent modulus

ent modulus

material mo
model of the
ss - strain r
s shown on
Table
Bilinea

Table 2
kinema

ade from Q3
d in the re
umed acco
tangent m
the Euroco
ditions
the bolts is
e bolts. Th
1.
s
s
odel applied
e steel elem
relationship
Table 1.
1 Materia
r kinematic
2 Material
atic
345 steel.
esearch of
rding to th
odulus is s
ode (EN 19
s applied as
he model is
Figure 3 C
The cyclic
the study
monotonic
rotation an
Three step
rotation. E
is 10 mm,


d could be w
ments should
p for the bo
al propertie
c
l properties
Specimens
(Yongjiu, e
he results o
similar to th
93-1-5).
s first load
s load with
Cyclic load
c load proto
y of (Gang
c load is
nd yielding
ps are app
Each displa
with two cy
with isotrop
d be chose
lts grade 10
es of bolt
s of steel Q
s of steel Q
et al., 2011
of this pub
he recomme
step, seco
imposed d

ocol is the
g, et al.,
applied an
g moment a
plied to rea
acement in
ycles applie
pic or kinem
en with
0.9 is applie
grade 10
Q345 Bili
Q345 are te
1). The tan
blication, al
ended valu
nd step is
displacemen
one applie
2007). Fir
nd the yie
are discove
ach the yie
ncremental
ed.
matic
ed
0.9
inear
ested
ngent
lso it
ue for
used
nt on
ed by
rst a
lding
ered.
lding
step
RESULT
Moment
TS
t in joint ve ersus rotat tion





































Figu
Specime
bolts M20
plate thk=
With stiff
Specim
bolts M2
plate th
Without
Spec
bolts
plate
With
ure 4 Com
n J D2
0 gr.10.9
=20mm
fener
en J D3
20 gr.10.9
k=20mm
t stiffener
cimen J D6
M24 gr.10.9
e thk=20mm
stiffener
pare of nummerical withh test resultts
Tension

-250 -1
T
e
n
s
i
o
n

i
n

b
o
l
t

-
(
k
N
)
-250 -1
T
e
n
s
i
o
n

i
n

b
o
l
t

-
(
k
N
)
-350
T
e
n
s
i
o
n

i
n

b
o
l
t

-
(
k
N
)
n in bolt
Fi
In
Th
el
bo
co
st



0
50
100
150
200
250
150 -50
0
50
100
150
200
250
150 -50
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
-150
gure 5 Ten
Figure 5 is
he results
ongating, th
olt remain
onnection,
age. Also t
50 150
M (kN*m)
J D
J D
50 150
M (kN*m)
J D
J D
50
M (kN*m)
J
J
nsion force
s presented
confirm t
he pretensi
longer. So
during sei
his will ens
250 350
D2_monotone_bolt_1
D2_cyclic_bolt_1
250 350
D3_monotone_bolt_1
D3_cyclic_bolt_1
250
J D3_monotone_bolt_
J D3_cyclic_bolt_1
s in bolts
d the bolt te
that in a
ion has no
o to reduc
zmic actio
ure that the
0 -250 -15
T
e
n
s
i
o
n

i
n

b
o
l
t

-
(
k
N
)
0
1
-250 -15
T
e
n
s
i
o
n

i
n

b
o
l
t

-
(
k
N
)
_1
-350
T
e
n
s
i
o
n

i
n

b
o
l
t

-
(
k
N
)
ension with
pretension
effect after
ce the stiff
n, the bolt
e bolts will n
0
50
100
150
200
250
50 -50
M
0
50
100
150
200
250
50 -50
M
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
-150
M
h the mome
n bolt, whe
r bolt yieldin
fness degr
ts should
not be dam
50 150
(kN*m)
J D2_m
J D2_c
50 150
(kN*m)
J D3_m
J D3_c
50
(kN*m)
J D3_m
J D3_c
ent in the be
en the bo
ng, because
radation of
work in el
maged.
250 350
monotonic_bolt_2
cyclic_bolt_2
250 350
monotonic_bolt_2
cyclic_bolt_2
250
monotonic_bolt_2
cyclic_bolt_2



eam.
olt is
e the
f the
lastic
the resu
small dif
under cy
applied
model sh


CONCL
The
results i
provide
another
Fro
stiffener
not povi
provided
Fro
evident t
under th

ults from the
fference in
yclic load.
in the stud
hould be ap
USION
e comparis
n this stud
enough rot
option is th
om Figure 4
is applied
ided (speci
d, and also
om Figure 4
that the
e cyclic loa
e test. The
the unload
The reason
y, for bette
pplied, like
son betwee
dy indicates
tation capa
he shear pa
4 is eviden
(specimen
imen J D3).
the connec
4 in this stu
curve u
ad.
Figure
The b
depend
equiva
increas
energy
work.




table 3 U
The com
experime
simulation
despite th
achieved
Aslo the
numerica
hysteresis
ing part of
n for this d
er agreeme
multilinear
n the test r
s a good a
acity the en
anel failure.
nt that the p
ns J D2, J D6
. So the e
ction resista
udy and als
under mono
6 J oint rot
behaviour
ds mainly
lent T-stu
se the part
y disipation
Ultimate mo
mpare of th
nt (Gang,
n shown in
he simple m
is with va
c
l simulation
s loops in th
the loop an
differemce m
nt wih test
or Chaboch
results of (G
agreement.
nd plate sho

pinching in
6) is smalle
nergy abso
ance is high
o mentione
otonic load
tation
of the inv
of the s
b. Higher r
rticipation o
of the con
oment resist
he results
et al., 200
n Figure 4
model the u
alue close
urve from
n is with v
he numeric
nd in the ul
mainly is th
results ano
he.
Gang, et al.
To ensure
ould failure
hysteresis
er than the
osrbed is h
her.
ed in the st
is envelop
vestigated
shear pane
resistance
of the shea
nnection thr
tance from
from cycl
07)and from
and in ta
ltimate mom
to the exp
monotoni
very good a
cal simulatio
ltimate mom
he bilinear
other kinem
., 2007) an
e that the
e before the
s loops whe
e case whe
higher whe
udy (Gang
pe of the hy
endplate
el and of
of the end
ar panel in
rough nonli
cyclic load
lic load in
m the nume
able 3 indic
ment resist
perimental
c load in
agreement
on are sho
ment resist
material m
matic harde
d the nume
connection
e bolts doe
en an end
re a stiffen
en a stiffen
, et al., 200
ysteresys l
joint
f the
plate
n the
inear

n the
erical
cates
ance
one.
the
with
owing
ance
model
ening
erical
n can
es, or
plate
ner is
ner is
07) is
oops
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ansys documentation.
Gang, Shi, et al. 2008. Numerical simulation of steel pretensioned bolted end-plate
connections of different types and details. Engineering Structures. 30, 2008, pp. 2677-
2686.
Gang, Shi, Shi, Yongjiu and Wang, Yuanqing. 2007. Behaviour of end-plate moment
connections under earthquake loading. ENGINEERING STRUCTURES. ELSEVIER,
2007, 29, pp. 703-716.
KRISHNAMURTHY, N. 1978. A Fresh Look at Bolted End-Plate Behavior and Design.
1978. EMBED Equation.DSMT4


Sherbourne, Archibald N. and Bahaari, Mohammed R. 1994. 3D SIMULATION OF
END-PLATE BOLTED CONNECTIONS. Journal of Structural Engineering. 1994, pp.
3122-3136.
Yongjiu, Shi, Meng, Wang and Yuanqing, Wang. 2011. Experimental and constitutive
model study of structural steel under cyclic loading. Journal of Constructional Steel
Research. ELSEVIER, 2011, 67, pp. 1185-1197.