System Limited Connection Forces in Steel Seismic Frames

This preprint reviews the force-transfer basis for seismic steel connections in IS 800:2007, AISC 341-22, and Eurocode 8 explanatory examples. It identifies the narrow wording of IS 800:2007 §12.10.2.1 for rigid ordinary moment-frame beam-to-column connections, compared with AISC’s explicit maximum-system-transfer option. A conceptual tube-thickness calculation and two AI-generated schematics illustrate why an as-built larger section does not alone determine the joint force. It proposes a reproducible benchmark and a focused BIS clarification question. This is a literature review and research protocol, not peer reviewed and not a project-specific design. Generative AI assisted literature discovery, drafting, document production, and conceptual figures; the author reviewed and accepted the deposited version.