Development of national loading protocol for seismic assessment of moment connections and laboratory study of WUF-W and RBS welded moment connections subjected to Iranian and SAC loading protocols

In this study, to develop the Iranian loading protocol in the region, the detailed seismic, numerical, statistical, finite element and laboratory studies were conducted according to the region’s conditions. Finally, a loading protocol was proposed that provided a proper simulation of the region’s seismic demand. It also complied with the construction and design conditions of structures in the region and can apply to structural moment components, especially moment connections in the laboratory conditions. It is noteworthy that the region’s proposed loading protocol provided some criteria for evaluating the performance of moment connections in the target values level, qualifying conditions, and collapse threshold control of moment connections. To achieve the objectives of this study and to evaluate and match the proposed loading protocol’s performance conditions, two pairs of identical specimens of WUF-W and RBS welded moment connections were examined and evaluated in the laboratory subjected to the proposed loading protocol of the region and SAC loading protocol. It should be noted in the laboratory and numerical studies that the damage parameters and applied demand resulting from both loading protocols were evaluated and compared while matching and controlling the conditions and criteria presented in the proposed loading protocol of the region. It is noteworthy that the present study’s welded moment connections well satisfied the performance conditions and criteria of the proposed and SAC loading protocols.