An experimental study of I beam-RHS column demountable joints with welded studs

This paper presents the results of an extensive experimental investigation on the behaviour of a newtype of joint
between open structural steel beam and rectangular hollow section (RHS) column. The proposed joint is demountable:
threaded studs are welded to the front face of the hollow section column and angle cleat legs are
then bolted to the column by means of the welded studs and to the beam flanges by ordinary bolts. Twentyone
full-scale single side or double side bolted beam-columnjoints combining different sections have been tested
under monotonic and cyclic loads. The test results confirm that these joints behave as semi rigid and partial
strength ones which possess sufficient stiffness and moment resistance for use in the construction of low to
medium-rise steel buildings as an alternative to other traditional solutions. The proposed joints also exhibit a
moderate energy dissipation capacity under cyclic loads, suitable for construction in moderate seismic regions.
This researchwork demonstrates that the proposed joint is easy to execute on sitewithout specializedmanpower
or expensive facilities.