Investigation of seismic behavior of thin end-plate joints

Steel structures were thought to have very high ductility and strength under seismic loads. Brittle failures were observed in the structures examined after the Northbridge earthquake. End-plate connections have been proposed as an alternative to welded connections. This combination has simple manufacturing and easy assembly. In this study, it is aimed to experimentally examine four-bolt extended end-plate connections under the influence of cyclic loads. 12 test samples were selected, 6 with unstiffened and 6 stiffened. Parameters were evaluated according to the distance of the bolts from both the head and the body. Additionally, experimental, numerical and analytical studies in the literature were examined. In addition, the results obtained with the proposed equations in (Özkılıç 2023a, 2023b) were compared. When the test results were evaluated, the maximum load and plastic carrying capacities increased with the decrease of the p_f value. As the g distance decreased, the plastic capacity increased. The rigidity plate has significantly increased the capacity.