Design Loads for Seated-beam in LRFD

For many years, the AISC Manual of Steel Construction has provided allowable loads for various types of connections for supporting a simple beam on a column. The most economical of these is the seated-beam connection where the end reaction is supported by an unstiffened angle bolted or welded to the column. When plans were made to develop a new Manual based on the AISC Load and Resistance Factor Design Specification, it was necessary to review the methods used to determine the allowable loads in the 1980 Manual. This paper presents a summary of that work to show the basis for the load capacities in both Manuals. It is shown that, for some applications, the economy of the seated-beam connection should be enhanced with the new LRFD Specification.