Numerical and Experimental Study on the Seismic Performance of a Steel Frame with Grooved Fully Bolted Connections

To study the seismic performance of a steel frame with grooved fully bolted semirigid connections, a single-story single-span steel frame was tested under pseudostatic cyclic loading. The failure modes, ductility, and bearing capacity of the specimens were analyzed. The results showed that the gusset plate at the beam end yielded first. The plate opened when it was under tension, and the slotted bolt hole slipped. The weld tore at the connection between the steel beam flange and the plate, but there was no obvious deformation of the column wall. The hysteretic curve exhibited a plump shuttle shape in the later stage of loading, which indicated that the frame had good ductility and a desirable capacity to dissipate energy. However, pinching behavior occurred because the gusset plate formed gaps, and the bolt slipped. The yield displacement in the test was 56.3 mm, the maximum loading displacement was 128 mm, and the displacement ductility was 2.27. Finally, a finite element model was established using ABAQUS, and the results showed that the model could provide reasonably accurate predictions of the experimental results. The ductility of the structure could be improved both by increasing the bolt diameter at the node plates and by increasing the thickness of the beam end node plate. This study provides an important reference for the development of semirigid beam-to-column joints in steel frames.