Experimental Evalutation of the Seismic Performance of WUF-W Moment Connections with a Modified Access Hole

Welded Unreinforced Flange-Welded Web (WUF-W) connection is one of Special Moment Frame (SMF) specified in ANSI/AISC-358. From the experimental test of WUF-W connection specimens conducted by the previous study, fracture occurred in the beam flange before achieving total inter-story drift angle of 0.04radian required for Special Moment Frames (SMF) system even though the specimens satisfied the design and detailing requirement specified in ANSI/AISC-358. These results are estimated as problem of the access hole geometry. In this study, a full-scale WUF-W connection specimen was made with a modified access hole geometry, and tested with the same test setting and loading as the previous test. From test results, the deformation capacity of the tested WUF-W connection specimen exceeded 4%, which is required for connections in SMF system. Comparing with the WUF-W specimens of the previous study, the strain demand of the beam flange in the tested specimen was decreased and energy dissipation capacity of the specimen was improved.