From Strength to Repairability: Normalized Performance Metrics for Welded, Bolted and Replaceable-Fuse Steel Moment Connections
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Beam-to-column connections govern both seismic performance and post-earthquake repairability of steel moment-resisting frames. Yet direct, apples-to-apples comparisons among welded, bolted, and repair-oriented replaceable-fuse moment connections are still scarce, which hinders rational selection for resilient construction. This study conducts a unified finite-element comparison of three representative joint archetypes—W-RBS, Bolted, and Prefab-web-fuse—under monotonic and cyclic loading. Consistent moment-rotation definitions are adopted, and normalized indices are introduced to compare hysteresis shape, degradation, and energy dissipation across joint concepts with different strength scales. Component-wise plastic dissipation is also extracted to quantify damage localization and assess main-frame protection and replaceability. Results reveal clear trade-offs: W-RBS provides the highest strength and dissipation but degrades most in stiffness; the bolted joint shows pinching due to interface compliance; and the web-fuse concept concentrates inelastic demand in a replaceable segment, supporting repairability-oriented design. The proposed framework offers mechanism-based guidance for selecting steel moment connections toward resilient and repairable frames.
Source: Applied Sciences
DOI: 10.3390/app16062892
Institution: Fuzhou University
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
OpenAlex ID: W7138321740