Cyclic behaviour of 3D cut welded connections with CHS columns and through I‐beams

This paper investigates the cyclic behaviour of a novel typology of steel beam‐to‐column connection made by welding circular hollow section (CHS) columns and through I‐beams. In fact, due to the novelty of this configuration and the lack of design equations in the current codes, the application of this innovative solution is limited in common practice.

The LASTEICON research project has recently investigated the main technological issues related to the manufacturing process and the joint's flexural resistance. Additionally, at the University of Salerno, studies on this joint began a few years ago, focusing on the characterisation of its bending response within the framework of the component method approach. Therefore, experimental, numerical and analytical activities have led to defining the joint's main components and proposing formulations able to predict the initial stiffness and the chord failure resistance. However, the proposed approach concerns the investigation of the monotonic behaviour of the joint, leaving the investigation of its cyclic response still unexplored.

To fill this gap, the cyclic flexural response of connections with CHS columns and through I‐beams is assessed in this paper, starting from the knowledge of the monotonic and cyclic behaviour of the main components of the connection.