Experimental test data for CFS bolted rack beam-column connections (Notre Dame - Frost 2021-2022)
Description
Cold-formed steel (CFS) semi-rigid moment frame connections are increasingly utilized as the primary lateral force-resisting elements in rack-clad buildings (RCBs), including rickhouses for barreled spirit storage. Despite the prominence of this construction type, experimental data characterizing the cyclic moment-rotation behavior of bolted CFS beam-to-column connections remain limited, and no building code provisions specifically govern RCB design. Hence, an experimental program was undertaken to establish the hysteretic response and rotational stiffness characteristics of fourteen CFS beam-to-column connection configurations under reverse cyclic and monotonic loading, with particular emphasis on unloaded frame conditions representative of rickhouses that stand empty for extended periods prior to occupancy. A total of 93 tests were performed, comprising 80 reverse cyclic tests and 13 monotonic tests, using a modified cantilever test setup consistent with FEMA 460 recommendations; results for 85 of those tests are reported herein.
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Institutions
- University of Notre DameIndiana, Notre Dame