Presenting a New Detail for the Rigid Connection Between I-Shaped Beam and Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Column with Stiffened Channel Link

Connections play an important role in the response of steel moment resisting frames to seismic loading. Prequalified rigid connections are applicable to I-shaped or box columns. In I-shape beam to concrete-filled tube (CFT) column connections, continuity and doubler plates cannot be added to the column. Various details have been proposed to address this issue, many of which are not constructionally convenient to implement. The aim of this study is to present a simple and suitable detailing for I-shape beam to concrete-filled tube column connections. To that end, six full-scale experimental samples were built and subjected to cyclic quasi-static loading. In the samples, stiffened and un-stiffened channel links were used to connect the beam to the column. In each sample, the stiffeners were installed on a different position on the channel link. The results showed that compared to the connection in which the beam is directly connected to the column, using the stiffened channel link with stiffeners along the beam’s flange increases the strength and ductility of the connection by 12% and 72%, respectively. Considering their desirable performance and easy implementation, these connections can be considered as a suitable detailing for I-shape beam to CFT column connections in seismic regions.