Seismic Structural Design Associates, Inc.

Seismic Structural Design

James E Partridge

Clayton Jay Allen

Ralph M Richard

Rudolph E Radau, Jr

Rudolph E Radau

A structural framework that includes a column, a beam, a brace beam coupled at an angle to the column and the beam, and a gusset plate to connect the brace beam with the column and the beam. The framework also includes a shear plate with horizontally slotted holes to couple to the column to the beam. The structural framework may also include double framing angles or a flex plate coupled to the gusset plate and to the beam via spacer plates to provide for a semi-rigid connection.

Semi-rigid connections for braced frames

Braced frame force distribution connection

The present invention provides for improvement of ductility and strength performance of connections in structural steel buildings made typically with rolled structural shapes, specifically in bolted and/or welded beam-to-column connections with welded flanges, by greatly reducing the very significant uneven stress distribution found in the conventionally designed connection at the column/beam weld, through use of slots in column and/or beam webs with or without continuity plates in the area of the column between the column flanges, as well as, optionally, extended shear plate connections with additional columns of bolts for the purpose of reducing the stress concentration factor in the center of the flange welds. Moreover, the slots in beam web adjacent to the beam flanges allow the beam web and flange to buckle independently thereby eliminating the degrading of the beam strength caused by lateral-torsional bucking.

Steel frame stress reduction connection

The present invention relates to improvement of strength performance of connections in structural steel buildings made typically with rolled structural shapes, specifically in beam-to-column connections made with bolt or riveted weld web connections and welded flanges, to greatly reduce the very significant uneven stress distribution found in the conventionally-designed connection at the column/beam weld, through use of slots in column and/or beam webs with or without continuity plates in the area of the column between the column flanges, as well as, optionally, extended shear connections with additional columns of bolts for the purpose of reducing the stress concentration factor in the center of the flange welds.

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

James E Partridge