Panel Zone Effect on the Strength and Stiffness of Steel Rigid Frames

This paper is a study of the effect of the panel zone on the strength and stiffness of steel rigid frames. The panel zone is defined as the portion of the frame whose boundaries are within the rigid connection of two or more members which have webs lying in a common plane. Design criteria for calculating the shear capacity of the panel zone are given in the Commentary to the AISC Specification (Sect. 1.5.1.2 for allowable stress design and Sect. 2.5 for plastic design). The results of this study provide answers to the five questions posed in the introduction of the paper. However, it must been emphasized that the conclusions are based entirely on the results of tests using a W14x61 shape of A36 material, and that extrapolation to other sizes of members must be done with caution. Thus, the conclusions primarily apply to steel rigid frames which have light wide-flange shapes as columns.