Investigation of the effective parameters on the strength and ductility of the welded flange plate connections

After Northridge earthquake several connection configurations have been proposed by researchers to improve the ductility of the rigid connections. One of them is welded flange plate (WFP) connections. These connections have been used in Iran for years but with different details from what is presented by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In present study a parametric study on the strength and ductility of WFP connections in the case of utilizing deep beams has been carried out using finite element method. These parameters are; beam material property,flange plate thickness,flange plate length,the transverse welding of the top flange plates,the end form of the top flange plate,the equality or inequality of the top and bottom flange plate length,form of the rib plates and the common methods to transfer the shear force from the beam to the column. Finally,the effects of doubler plates to increase the strength and ductility of the WFP connections were investigated.