Steel frame stress reduction connection

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of said column;
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the first flange of the beam and adjacent to the first flange of the column;
• and
• a slot in the column positioned adjacent to the column flange and to the beam flange nearest to the beam slot.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column and including at least one weld access hole;
• a first slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the first beam flange and to the first column flange;
• and
• a second slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the second beam flange and to the first column flange.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column;
• a first slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the first beam flange and to the first column flange;
• a second slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the second beam flange and to the first column flange;
• and
• a slot in the column positioned adjacent to the column flange and to the beam flange nearest to the first beam slot.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a lower flange, an upper flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam being welded orthogonal to the first flange of said column and including at least one weld access hole;
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the lower flange of said beam and adjacent to the first flange of the column;
• and
• a continuity plate extending between the first and second column flanges and being coplanar with the first beam flange.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column;
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to first flange of the beam and adjacent to the first flange of the column;
• a slot in the column positioned adjacent to the column flange and to the beam flange nearest to the beam slot;
• and
• a continuity plate extending between the first and second column flanges and being co-planar with the first beam flange.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column and including at least one weld access hole;
• a first slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the first beam flange and the first column flange;
• a second slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the second beam flange and to the first column flange;
• and
• a continuity plate extending between the first and second column flanges and being coplanar with the first beam flange.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a lower flange, an upper flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column and including at least one weld access hole;
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the lower flange of the beam and adjacent to the first flange of the column;
• and
• a shear plate welded on the web of said beam and having a length, height and width dimension extending between the first and second beam flanges, and the width dimension extending perpendicular to the height dimension and along the web of the beam, flange and a first web and a second web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a lower flange, an upper flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column;
• and
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the lower flange of the beam and adjacent to the first flange of the column.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel box column having a first flange, a second flange and a first web and a second web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a lower flange, an upper flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column;
• and
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the lower flange of the beam and adjacent to the first flange of the column.

A steel framework structure comprising:

• a column having a pair of flanges and a web;
• a beam having a pair of flanges, a web and at least one weld access hole;
• said beam having an end joined to an outer flange surface of said column to form a connection;
• said column flanges being connected to said column web at inner faces of said column flanges along the lengthwise centerlines of said column flanges;
• means for uniformly distributing the magnitude of stress and the strain rate across said end of said beam near said connection;
• and
• wherein said stress and strain distribution means reduces the mean time between failures of said connection.

A method of quantifying stress and strain concentration factors in a welded steel moment frame connection comprising:

• selecting a welded steel moment frame connection:
• selecting a high fidelity finite element model including at least 40,000 elements and at least 40,000 degrees of freedom for said connection;
• conducting a finite element stress analysis of said connection by:
• executing a computer-implemented finite element analysis program for said model and using pre-determined stress and strain values;
• and
• generating stress and strain concentration factors for design of said welded steel moment frame connection.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column;
• and
• a slot in the beam, with said slot having an upper edge, a lower edge, a first end edge and a second end edge, all four edges being formed by the beam web.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having an upper beam flange, a lower beam flange, and a beam web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column;
• at least one weld access hole in said beam web;
• and
• a beam slot having a first end, a second end, a length dimension extending between said first end and said second end and said first end being closer to said first column flange than said second end;
• and
• said beam slot being formed in said beam web and positioned nearer said upper beam flange than said lower beam flange.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a lower flange, an upper flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column;
• at least one weld access hole in said beam;
• and
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the lower flange of the beam and separated from the first flange of the column by a predetermined length of beam web.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of said column;
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the first flange of the beam and adjacent to the first flange of the column;
• and
• a slot in the column positioned adjacent to the column flange and to the beam flange nearest to the beam slot.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column and including at least one weld access hole;
• a first slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the first beam flange adjacent to the first column flange;
• and
• a second slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the second beam flange but not adjacent to the first column flange.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam web being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column and including at least one weld access hole;
• a first slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the first beam flange but not adjacent to the first column flange;
• a second slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the second beam flange and in the proximity of but not adjacent to the first column flange;
• and
• a continuity plate extending between the first and second column flanges and being coplanar with the first beam flange.

A steel framework comprising:

• a steel column having a first flange, a second flange, and a web therebetween;
• a steel beam having a lower flange, an upper flange, and a web therebetween;
• the beam being welded orthogonal to the first flange of the column and including at least one weld access hole;
• a slot in the beam positioned adjacent to the lower flange of the beam but not adjacent to the first flange of the column;
• and
• a shear plate welded on the web of said beam and having a length, height and width dimension extending between the first and second beam flanges, and the width dimension extending perpendicular to the height dimension and along the web of the beam.