Testing elements of moment resisting connections for composite frames

A moment resisting connection has been proposed for a frame consisting of circular concrete- filled steel tube columns and composite steel and concrete beams. A series of tests at the University of Melbourne monitored the behaviour of a T-stub element of the proposed connection, under cyclic tension. The T-stub element consisted of a rigid curved endplate welded to a tapered plate which formed the web of the T. The curved endplate was then bolted to a concrete-filled CHS column, using Ajax blind bolts. Four of the test specimens had Grade 400 reinforcing bars of various configurations (long, short, straight, cogged) welded to the head of the blind bolts to anchor the bolts into the concrete inside the CHS. This paper reports the results of these tests.