Flexible (simple) shear connections commonly used in steel-framed buildings are very economical and are relatively easy to fabricate. These connections are used for shear resistance, but recent studies have shown that they are capable of sustaining an interaction of rotational and axial load demand necessary for steel-framed building structures to help resist collapse in the event of unanticipated damage scenarios.
The objective of this paper is to outline and discuss an experimental effort designed to evaluate the robustness of single plate shear connections under a quasi-dynamic loading scenario simulating the loss of a central column. The experimental program included eleven full-scale tests of a system consisting of two wide flange beams connected to a central wide flange column stub by means of the shear plate connections. Three, four, and five bolt configurations were tested, and two of the tests utilized galvanized bolts. The experimental testing provides important information regarding the ability of these connections to sustain large rotational demands in conjunction with axial tension forces generated through geometric stiffness (catenary) effects when subjected to rapidly applied vertical loads
