Numerical Study on Double Tee Connections with

Rib Stiffener and Shear Tab

Harsha R H Manasa K P
Dept. of Civil Engineering Dept. of Civil Engineering
Govt. College of Engineering Govt. College of Engineering
Kannur Kannur
harsharavindran1995@gmail.com manasamanoharan33@gmail.com

Abstract— Double tee connection in a beam column joint is
a semi rigid connection in which two T stubs are bolted to the
members. Use of these T stubs will be beneficial in seismic
prone areas as they exhibit higher initial stiffness and ultimate
moment capacity. Since plastic deformations are limited only
in T stub, the connection can be easily repaired by replacing it
after a destructive earthquake. The thickness and shape of T
stub components have significant roles in enhancing the
moment carrying capacity and they can influence the failure
mode also. This study is mainly intended to investigate the
performance of double tee connection by adding T stub rib
stiffener and shear tab into the beam column joint. Parameters
such as T flange thickness, T stem thickness and T stem shape
are considered in the analysis.
geometry [3]. Generally, bolted joints are used to connect
two or more segments together to create an assembly in a
structure. It consists of fasteners with screw threads which
help for the joining of other segments in the connection.
Bolted joint designs are mainly classified into two. They are
tension joints and shear joints [2]. Bolted double tee
connections as depicted in Fig. 1, are suitable for beam-
column joints in seismic areas. Continuity plates are
frequently used in connections to stiffen the column flange
and web in order to withstand large forces transferred by the
beam flange.

Keywords— T stub, rib stiffener, shear tab, ultimate moment,

failure mode

I. INTRODUCTION
Semi-rigid connections lie between simple and rigid
connections. It was recognized that the simple connections
possess some rotational rigidity and rigid connections
experience some joint deformations. These facts lead to the
evolution of semi-rigid connections. Usage of such
connections is difficult in analysis but they are economical in
member design. Double tee connection or T-stub connection
is an example for semi-rigid connections. For a specific
design of such connection, the moment-rotation behavior
will have to be found out based on the experiments Fig. 1 T-stub connection (Huang et al., 2018)
conducted. Compared to rigid connections, the cost of semi-
rigid connections is lesser. It is an additional profit provided T-stub is an important component in several structural
by semi-rigid connections [1]. The initial stiffness of such joint applications. It consists of a flange and a stem welded
connections is higher than that of top-and-seat angle together as shown in Fig. 2.
connection. T-stub stems are attached to the beam flanges
with the help of bolts. They exhibit excellent seismic
performance as the plastic deformation is limited to T-stubs.
These T-stubs can be replaced for repairing the double tee
connection after a severe earthquake [30]. The structural
behavior including resistance, stiffness and deformation
capacity of bolted T-stubs influences the design of beam-to-
column connections significantly [24].
During Northridge earthquake in 1994 and Kobe
earthquake in 1995, most of the structures experienced
connection failure. This was due to the large strain demands
developed close to weld access holes. Further studies on
Fig. 2 T-stub components (Huang et al., 2018)
seismic resistant connections recognized that the welded
connections can be replaced with bolted connections so as to Usually complete penetration groove weld is adopted for
overcome the inherent drawbacks related to connection this purpose. These T-stubs can be either built-up sections or

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1

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rolled sections. The built-up T-stubs are better than rolled T-
stubs. Because the former are easy to be fabricated and
designed as stronger, stiffer and more ductile. Built-up T-
stubs are beneficial since they have enhanced material
utilization, freedom of sizing, and obtainability over hot-
rolled T-stubs. In many cases, built-up T-stubs give more
choices in determining the needed flange and stem thickness
over rolled ones. Usually in a double tee connection two T-
stubs are either welded or bolted to beam and column flange
[27]. The researches prove that the bolted connections show
better performance than welded.
The most observed failure mode in a double tee
connection is net section fracture of the stem. The T-stub can
fail due to one of the three identified failure mechanisms.
• First failure mechanism: Occurrence of four plastic
hinges, in which two of them develops at bolt holes in the
flange sections and the other two at the flange - web joints.
• Second failure mechanism: Occurrence of two
plastic hinges at the flange - web joints and axial failure of
bolts.
• Third failure mechanism: Axial failure of the bolts
followed by complete separation of the flange plates [1].
These three failure modes are depicted in Fig. 3. The
fracture of tension bolt is occurred because of prying action
of T-flange.
Fig. 3 Failure modes of T stub (a) Four hinges (b) Two hinges with
axial bolt failure (c) axial failure with full flange separation
(Gantes et al., 2003)
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. T-stub connections and influencing factors
In 2008, Piluso et al. [3] have done experimental and
numerical analysis of cyclic behavior of T stub connection.
There were only limited experimental researches available in
the technical literature related to the cyclic behavior of
connection components during that period. They developed
semi-analytical model using component based approach.
Three components tested were bending of column flange,
bending of end plate and tension of bolts. Plastic
deformation capacity in monotonic tests was adopted for
establishing range of amplitude in cyclic test. Energy
dissipation capacity was found out which was in good match
with experimental results.
In 2010, Loureiro et al. [4] developed an equivalent
frame model for T stub for predicting its axial stiffness. The
interaction between flange and bolt was considered in
developing an effective width proposal for determining the
stiffness of T-stub. It was found that a geometrical parameter
related to location of prying forces can influence the
effective width.
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The disproportionate collapse performance of T stub
connections was studied by Xu et al. [6] in 2011. Macro
models of two steel frames of full strength and partial
strength partially restrained connection were developed and
non-linear analysis was carried out for evaluating the
capability to withstand sudden column removal. They have
found that the frame with full strength T stub is able to
withstand the damage when one first-story column is
removed from the frame.
The unavailability of rolled profiles of T-stubs leads to
the invention of built-up sections. They are stronger, stiffer
and more ductile so that they can be used for special and
intermediate moment frames. In 2012, Hantouche et al. [8]
conducted experiments and finite element investigations on
built-up T-stub connections with slotted holes. They studied
the effect of fabrication process of slotted hole in the
performance of the T stub. Specimens either punched, drilled
or flame cut at center were tested. It was found that drilled
and flame cut holes have higher ductility than punched ones
and slightly higher ultimate strength.
Later, the effect of prying forces was investigated by
many researchers. The tension joints are often subjected to
prying forces. In case of T stub connection there is a chance
of secondary prying. It is the force developed into the bolts
under tension because of the bending in flange of column.
Hantouche et al. [9] investigated the prying behavior in thick
flange built-up T-stub to design full strength double tee
connections. The effect of secondary prying added to
existing prying strength model with or without continuity
plate was evaluated and total prying was found. By
estimating the amount of prying, the connection can be
designed for an additional load carrying capacity by
enlarging the bolt diameter. The loading was done in two
steps. Pretension of bolts was the first step and the second
load step was applying monotonic load incrementally at the
T-stem. It was found that the effect of secondary prying can
be reduced by increasing column size or by adding
continuity plates to column.
Mechanical models were created by Hu et al. in 2012, to
study the entire behavior of T-stub connection under cyclic
loads. These mechanical models consist of nonlinear spring
elements which represent the individual T-stub components.
This is done to reproduce the different response mechanisms
of the parts interacting with one another in the connection.
Axial loads were applied to the T-stub components which
correspond to the beam-flange forces in real life connections.
The slippage & Bauschinger effect were observed in cyclic
curves obtained [10].
In 2012, Matteis et al. [11] have done a parametric
evaluation on welded aluminium T-stubs by using finite
element models. They analyzed all possible failure
mechanisms. The code of practice EC9 (Annex-k) proposes a
method for calculating ultimate strength of aluminium
double tee connections. And this method is known as k-
method. It is found that this method explains the behavior of
such connection quite reliably especially while using weak
bolts.
Herrera et al. [12] conducted an experimental and
numerical analysis in 2013, on built-up T-stub specimens. A
tensile monotonic load was applied in a uniformly increasing
manner through the stem of T-stub. Then they analyzed the
design guidance for double split tee moment connections.
They replaced the split tees by built-up T-stubs for the
evaluation. Load-deformation response and failure modes
were studied. They observed that tension bolts fracture led to
failure and the weld damage was not significant. The design
recommendations were found to be applicable for
connections in which split tees are replaced by built-up T
stubs.
In the same year, a modified stiffness model was created
by Hantouche et al. [13] for predicting the behavior of thick
flange built-up T-stubs with CJP or fillet weld. An effective
and less time consuming incremental modeling approach was
adopted to predict force-deformation curve. It was found that
they are useful in case of deep girders.
Two series of 10 built-up T-stubs were tested under
cyclic loading by Bravo and Herrera in 2014, to find the
failure modes and limit states. A tensile displacement was
applied on the built-up T-stub by pulling and the load was
noted down. After that it was unloaded and a compression
displacement was applied again by pushing until reaching
half the tensile load. It was found that the common failure
mode is net section fracture of stem and that for thicker stem
is fracture of tension bolts [14].
The effect of bolt bending on T stub behavior was
examined numerically and analytically by Abidelah et al.
[15] in the same year. Axial tensile forces and bending
moment in bolts were analyzed by applying load at top of T
stub with displacement control and preload of bolt was not
considered. They observed bolt bending from beginning of
loading itself. And they found that the bending moment in
bolts decreases with increase in T stub flange thickness.
Also, Saberi et al. [16] did an experiment using bolted
end plate and T-stub connection in order to compare their
sensitivity to component thickness. Loading was done in two
steps. In the first step, bolt pretension was applied by thermal
gradient on shank of bolt. In the second step, a displacement
was given at end of beam to create bending moment in
connection similar to cyclic loading. It was observed that
reducing end plate thickness and T-stub flange thickness can
give maximum moment capacity.
In 2014, Hantouche et al. [17] again developed a stiffness
model of thick built-up T stub connection. But they included
secondary prying effect developed due to column flange
bending. The failure mode observed was interior bolt fracture
and full plastification at K zone. This was predicted by a
strength model. The findings of the experiment proved that
the total ductility of joint is highly dependent on column
flange. The results are beneficial in design of thick flange T-
stub connections related to deep girders.
Theoretical models were developed for T-stub stiffness
and strength, and the information obtained were integrated
with experimental or FE results. SAP 2000 FE model was
developed by Francavilla et al. in 2015, for finding plastic
deformation capacity of bolted joints. Single bolt row was
considered and one fourth of the specimen was modeled
because of symmetry. The 2D FE model was accurate for
prediction of stiffness, resistance and plastic deformation
capacity. The main advantage of this study is the simplicity
in application in everyday design practice and the force-
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displacement curve can be used as input data for mechanical
models [18]. A refined FE model was used for predicting the
complete force-displacement response, by Ceniceros et al. in
the same year. Specimens were tested to understand the
influence of damage parameters. Advanced 3D FE model
was used to study non-linear characteristics of T-stub
component. The advantages of the model were the ability to
identify failure modes of T-stub, 3D effects along the flange
width and detail characterization of bolt. The drawback of
the model was the high computational cost [19].
High strength steel like S355 is commonly used
nowadays because of its high strength, stiffness, toughness
and ductility. Experiments on T stub joints of such steel were
carried out for understanding the tensile behavior by Zhao et
al. [20] in 2016 with the help of servo-hydraulic universal
test machine. It was validated with analytical yield line
method. They have found that strength of plastic hinges is
reduced around weld toe of T-stub connection and this
reduction induces variations in load-displacement curve.
S385 & S440 steels held the same analytical results.
Numerical assessment under impact load was carried out
by Ribeiro et al. [21] in 2016 considering non-linear
properties of a T stub joint using finite element analysis.
Both quasi static and dynamic loads were applied based on
ductile failure criterion and strain rate effect on force-
displacement enhancement. The effect of parameters such as
load magnitude, loading time and T stub flange thickness
were studied. It was found that loading time has larger effect
and improving the force-displacement property is of no great
importance for stiffer T stubs.
In 2017, Herrera et al. tested four full scale beam to
column built-up double T moment connections under cyclic
loading. The parameters were T flange thickness, type of
weld and column web thickness. They have observed the
evolution of plastic hinges in beams, panel zone
plastification and T flange prying. LVDTs, inclinometer and
load cells were installed for recording the results. The
displacement was recorded by LVDTs. The rotation of beam
and connection was found with the help of inclinometer.
Similarly reactions on beam tips were noted by load cells.
They observed that increase in T-flange thickness helps to
change the plastic bending of T-flange to plastic hinging of
beam [23].
In 2017, Yuan et al. [24] conducted experiments on
stainless steel bolted T stubs with different configurations of
geometry. Monotonic load was applied with the help of
hydraulic actuator and ultimate resistance, plastic
deformation capacity and failure modes were studied and
prying forces were also examined. Typical failure mode was
plastic flexural deformation of flange and bolt fracture. Also
they found that failure mode, ultimate resistance and
deformation capacity are independent of bolt preload. But the
initial stiffness can be enhanced by increasing bolt preload.
The ultimate moment is a significant parameter effecting
entire performance of T-stub connections. In 2018, Kong et
al. [26] numerically estimated the initial stiffness and
ultimate moment of T stub connection. Steel of Q235 was
used for all the specimens. Half connection was modeled due
to symmetry, for prediction of initial stiffness. Types of
collapse mechanisms were also studied. Finally they
proposed improved model predicting initial stiffness.
Sun et al. [27] also have conducted experiment on high
strength steel T stub connection in 2018. The effect of
welding and complex loads was studied. Loading was given
with the help of servo hydraulic universal test machine. First
yield resistance of HSS T stub was investigated for design
purpose. After welding heat affected zone (HAZ) develops
near weld toe. Collapse occurred when cracks appeared in
this HAZ area near weld toe. Increase in HAZ distribution
range led to linear decrease in first yield resistance. They
have found that the EC3 formulae cannot be applied directly
for high strength steel T stub. Hence they proposed a
modified EC3 formula. The effect of HAZ was studied
numerically also. It was found that ductility under combined
axial and shear load is lower than that under axial load.
Also, Liang et al. [28] have done experimental and numerical
analysis on Q690 high strength steel T stub and tension
behavior was studied. The bolt diameter, bolt strength grade
and flange size were chosen as the parameters. Plastic
bearing capacity and initial stiffness were observed. It was
found that initial stiffness increased with increase in bolt
pretension and if it exceeds a standard value, there is a weak
influence on initial stiffness.
In 2018, BeatrizGil et al. investigated out of plane
bending of T-stub. The T-stub was connected to minor axis
of column. Each part was undergone in plane as well as out
of plane bending. So it was important to study both the cases
carefully. After that interaction between each part and the
loads under both cases were evaluated. Analytical equations
for initial stiffness and capacity of extra plate of T-stub in
minor axis were developed based on the observations and
results obtained under out of plane bending [29].
Recently, in 2018, Huang et al. have done an experiment
on double tee connection using short slotted holes subjected
to cyclic loading. Earlier, a single long slotted hole was
provided in T stem to accommodate all the bolts. But in this
study, this hole was replaced by multiple short slotted holes
in order to find the effect of slot length on failure modes,
ductility etc. A typical short slotted hole is depicted in the
Fig. 4 and the failure mode observed for the specimen with
standard bolt hole is as shown in Fig. 5. The column was
fixed on the string floor. The RBS beam was welded to left
of column whereas the double tee beam was bolted to the
right side. The double tee connection was tested first
followed by RBS connection. Load was applied at the tip of
cantilever beam. The RBS and double tee connections were
compared further. The double tee connection exhibited
stiffness as rigid as that of RBS and they have found that slot
length has significant role in rotation capacity, ductility &
energy dissipation [30].
Fig. 4 Slotted hole (Huang et al., 2018)
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Fig. 5 Failure mode of T stub with standard hole (Huang et al., 2018)
B. T-stub connections to hollow columns
In case of hollow structural section (HSS) columns, the
T-stub is attached to the column with the help of blind bolts
which need only one side installation. A blind bolting system
is as shown in Fig 6. In 2010, Lee et al. [5] conducted an
experiment on such specimens, loaded gradually in tension
and compression separately. 8.8 grade high strength bolts
were used.
Fig. 6 Blind bolting system (Lee et al., 2010)
At low tensile load, end plate deformed upwards from T-
stem and as load increased more separation was observed.
The bolts undergone lateral bending, shear and tension. At
compressive load, the deformation was lesser and outward
bulging of tube face sidewalls and bow shape deformation of
endplates were observed. FE model was also developed for
getting load-deformation curve and moment-rotation curve.
It was found that stiffness of connection can be enhanced
with increasing endplate thickness up to 20 mm.
In 2011 also, they have done experiments on blind bolted
moment connections. The open section beam was connected
to unfilled hollow section column with help of T-stub
carrying back face support. The tension developed in beam
flange was distributed to column back face by incorporating
channels. Ajax ONESIDE blind bolting system was used in
this experiment. Gradually increasing static load was given at
cantilever end of beam with a hydraulic actuator until failure.
They concluded that it is a rigid connection for braced frame
system. The stiffness of extended T stub connection using
back face support is five times greater than that of normal T-
stub connection and 2.5 times than that of endplate with
same thickness [7].
In 2016, Wang et al. [22] studied about the low cycle
fatigue performance of T-stub connection bolted to HSS
columns using blind bolts. The connection is as shown in
Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 Bolted T-stub connections to tubular columns. (Wang et al, 2016)
Cyclic load was applied with displacement control. The
parameters of study were bolt gauge width, bolt size, tube
wall slenderness and tube sidewall depth. They observed
failure modes, hysteretic load-deformation curve, strength
and energy dissipation characteristics. The development of
crack on connecting surface of HSS column and bolt fracture
were observed.
Thread-fixed one side bolted T stub was studied for
tension strength in 2017 by Liu et al. [25] and thread
resistance was evaluated. Two new failure modes were
identified. They are hole thread failure and T stub flange
yielding with hole thread failure. Their design methods were
proposed. The effect of bolt pretension force, thickness of T
stub flange, existence of standard nut and screw depth of bolt
were observed. It was found that bolt pretension improve
initial stiffness whereas flange thickness increase ultimate
tension strength and tension stiffness.
C. Critical review
There are many factors which influence the performance
of T stub connections. The common failure mode observed
in T stub connections when subjected to loads is net section
fracture of stem and for thicker stem, fracture of tension
bolts. The bending moment which develops in bolts also
modifies the failure modes of the connection. When stainless
steel bolted T stubs are used, flexural deformation of flange
and bolt fracture is the typical failure mode. The effect of
secondary prying can be reduced by increasing column size
or by adding continuity plates to column. From the literature
survey, it is seen that the slot length provided in the T stem
has significant role in enhancing the performance of T stub
connection such as rotation capacity, ductility and energy
dissipation. Also, the hole fabrication method can influence
the efficiency. If they are drilled or flame cut, then they
provide higher ductility than punched ones and slightly
higher ultimate strength.
In seismic areas, most of the structures experience failure
at the connections. Repairing connections is very
cumbersome and expensive. But if we use T stub for
connecting the members, the repairing procedure is
comparatively easy as the plastic deformations are developed
only in the T stub. So that we can simply replace the T stub
for overall maintenance of the connection. T stubs have to be
designed carefully for resisting various loads including cyclic
loads.
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III. NUMERICAL INVESTIGATIONS
The moment-rotation characteristic is a main factor
which has to be determined based on the experiments carried
out for designing a beam column joint. There are several
experimental and analytical methods for obtaining moment-
rotation relationship. Besides these methods, finite element
method (FEM) is also used for this purpose.
A. Description of the experimental model
A full scale double tee connection assembly was tested
under cyclic loading by Huang et al. in 2018. The loading
was done with the help of a 500 kN capacity hydraulic
actuator at the beam tip under displacement control. The
double tee connection geometry is shown in Fig. 8.
Fig. 8 Cross sectional details of T stub connection (Huang et. al, 2018)
B. Description of the finite element model
For accurate calculation of maximum moment capacity
of T-stub connections, three-dimensional nonlinear finite
element analysis is done using ANSYS software. Accuracy
of the finite element model is checked by comparing the
outputs of FEM with the experimental outputs of Huang et
al. Then, parametric investigation with the validated finite
element model is carried out.
1) Geometry of the model
Half of the specimen is modeled for simplifying the
analysis, because of the symmetry. The parts of the
specimen modeled are column, continuity plates, beam,
vertical bracings, T stub and bolts of two different
diameters. Two continuity plates of 20 mm thickness are
utilized in this model since they are widely used in
construction. The purpose of 10 mm thick vertical bracings
in beam is to resist the lateral torsional buckling of beam.
All the parts are modelled with solid (SOLID186) element.
The modelling of plates with 2D shell elements and
modelling the bolt with beam element are also possible. But
the early studies show that this kind of modelling will lead
to difficulty in simulating the internal stresses in plasticity
zones which in turn will produce unacceptable results. And
the bolts can be projected better in 3D solid elements. So,
3D solid elements are used for the plates and bolts. The
modeled specimen is shown in Fig. 9. The geometric details
of the model are given in Table 1.
 The stress-strain relationship of Q235B steel is shown in
Fig. 10.

Fig. 9 FE Model

TABLE I. DETAILS OF THE MODELED SPECIMEN

Sl.No. Material Specifications (in mm)

Thickness 36
Flange
Width 300 Fig. 10 Tensile stress-strain relationship of Q235B steel
1 Column Thickness 24
Web
Width 628 3) Meshing
Length 1050 All the parts are meshed using coarse meshing. The
Thickness 16 mesh convergence occurred at a value of 45 mm. Multizone
Flange
Width 200 meshing is used for M22 bolts. The model after meshing is
2 Beam Thickness 10 shown in Fig 11.
Web
Width 318
Length 1351
Thickness 29
Flange Width 200
Length 270
3 T stub
Thickness 20
Stem Width 200
Length 300

M22 10.9 Grade

4 Bolt
M27 10.9 Grade
2) Material modeling Fig. 11 T stub connection after meshing

Q235B steel is used for the specimen. The iYoung’s

4) Boundary conditions and loading
modulus (E), iPoisson’s ratio (ν) , iyield stress (fy) and
tensile strength (fu) for beam, column, T-flange, T-stem & The bottom of the column is fixed and the other end is
bolts are adopted from tensile coupon test [30] & listed considered free. Symmetric boundary condition is applied
below in Table 2. on the face along the cutting plane of the half symmetric
model. The pretension forces are applied to the bolts using
TABLE II. MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF STRUCTURAL STEEL bolt pretension option as shown in Fig. 12. The bolt loads
were 208.3 kN and 314.6 kN for the M22 and M27 bolts
Material E (MPa) v fy (MPa) fu (MPa) respectively. The monotonic loading is done at the beam tip
with displacement control as shown in Fig. 13.
Column 200,000 0.3 235 400

Beam 200,000 0.27 237.31 400.72

T Flange 215,000 0.29 236.52 409.95

T Stem 199,000 0.28 237.22 400.59

M22 200,000 0.3 1010 1122 Fig. 12 Bolt pretension

M27 200,000 0.3 1012 1124

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 Fig. 13 Loading condition

5) Validation
Double tee connection is analyzed using static structural
analysis in ANSYS software. The results are compared with
the experimental data. The failure mode observed was net
section fracture of the stem. The deformation pattern
obtained from FE analysis is shown in Fig. 14. The
comparison of failure modes of experimental specimen and
FEA model is given in Fig. 15 and 16 respectively.
Fig. 16 Failure mode in FEA
The experiment is done under cyclic loading whereas in
finite element analysis, monotonic loading condition is used,
since the monotonic force-deformation curve can act as an
envelope to cyclic ones. The validity of the finite element
model is inspected by comparing the load-deflection curve
and moment-rotation curve obtained from finite element
models with the experimental ones as shown in Fig. 17 and
18 respectively. The positive cycle of the experimental
loading is used for the monotonic analysis in finite element
method. The validated results are tabulated in Table 3. The
connection rotation is calculated by the following
expression [30]:

(1)

where, δC1 and δC2 are the vertical displacements at the

location of applied load and face of top T-flange connected
to column flange respectively and δel, C1 is the beam elastic
deflection at the location of applied load.
Fig. 14 Deformation pattern

Fig. 17 Comparison of load-deflection curve

Fig. 15 Failure mode in experiment

The load is applied at the beam end point and maximum

value of deformation obtained at the point of application of
load is noted. The maximum load applied is multiplied by
the distance of the load applied point from the column face,
to obtain the maximum bending moment. The connection
rotation corresponding to the displacement is also found out.
In both experimental and numerical tests, the failure mode
obtained for the double tee connection is net section fracture
in the top T-stem. The flange of the T-stub has undergone
prying and two hinge failure mechanism is developed in the
T-stub. That is, two hinges are formed at the flange-stem
joint and the bolts experienced axial failure. There is no Fig. 18 Comparison of moment-rotation curve
deformation in the column.

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 TABLE III. VALIDATED RESULTS capacity among the three modeled specimens. The
percentage of increase in ultimate moment capacity of this
Parameter Experimental result Numerical result model is obtained as 7.24 %. The comparison of moment-
rotation behavior of this specimen with the validated
322 326.14 specimen is shown in Fig. 20. The connection rotation
Ultimate load (kN) remains almost the same in all cases.

Displacement at 109.4 110

failure (mm)

Ultimate moment 450.8 456.6

(kNm)

Max rotation capacity 0.070 0.072

(rad)

The percentage of error between experimental and

numerical results of ultimate load and ultimate moment is
1.29% and that of displacement at failure and maximum
rotation capacity are 0.6% and 2.86% respectively. The
numerical results are in good accordance with the
experimental results. Hence finite element modeling
procedure is adopted for further studies on double tee
connection.
IV. PARAMETRIC STUDIES
The verified finite element model of double tee
connection is used to investigate the moment-rotation Fig. 19 T stub rib stiffener (a) Triangular (b) Square (c) Irregular
behavior of the connection by adding T stub rib stiffener and pentagon
shear tab into the beam column joint. Influence of parameters
such as the T flange thickness, T stem thickness and T stem TABLE IV. RESULTS OF EFFECT OF SHAPE OF T STUB RIB STIFFENER
shape on moment-rotation relationship is also considered in
the analysis. Specimen Ultimate moment Percentage
capacity (kNm) of increase
A. Effect of T stub rib stiffener
The ultimate moment capacity of double tee connection
can be enhanced using T stub rib stiffeners. The modeled Without rib stiffener 456.596 -
specimen is modified by adding rib stiffener for analyzing
the effect of T stub rib stiffener in the connection. Various Triangular rib stiffener 484.652 6.14 %
shapes of rib stiffener such as triangular, square and irregular
pentagonal are considered for the analysis. The two adjacent
Square rib stiffener 489.552 7.20 %
sides of rib stiffener can be welded to the T flange and T
stem. The effect of thickness of stiffener is also evaluated.
Irregular pentagonal rib stiffener 489.692 7.24 %
1) Effect of shape of T stub rib stiffener
Double tee connection is modeled with T stub rib
stiffener of various shapes such as triangular, square and
irregular pentagon as shown in Fig. 19. The thickness of
stiffener is chosen as 10 mm for the analysis. Static
structural analysis is ANSYS software is used for this
purpose as discussed earlier. The moment-rotation curves of
the model with rib stiffeners are compared with the
validated specimen. It is observed that the ultimate moment
capacity of the connection is increased with the use of rib
stiffener. The percentage of increase is tabulated and shown
in Table 4. The length of the sides of rib stiffener which
comes in contact with T-stub is also evaluated. But it leads
to negligible increase in moment carrying capacity. So the
optimum value for the length of rib stiffener which is in
contact with T-stub is chosen as 125 mm for all the shapes.
It is found that the double tee connection with irregular Fig. 1 Comparison of moment-rotation curve based on Irregular
pentagonal stiffener
pentagonal rib stiffener shows higher ultimate moment

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 2) Effect of thickness of T stub rib stiffener
The thickness of the rib stiffener is also considered for
the study. Double tee connection is modeled with irregular
pentagonal T stub rib stiffeners of different thickness such
as 10 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm. The moment-rotation curves
of all the different specimens are evaluated after the
analysis. The findings are tabulated below in Table 5. It is
iobserved that there is only negligible increase in percentage
of ultimate moment carrying capacity. So it is clear that the
thickness of T stub rib stiffener does not have much effect in
the moment carrying capacity as well as connection rotation
of the model.

TABLE V. RESULTS OF EFFECT OF THICKNESS OF T STUB RIB

STIFFENER Fig. 3 Comparison of moment-rotation curve based on Shear tab

C. Effect of shear tab and T stub stiffener

Thickness of rib Ultimate moment Percentage of
stiffener (mm) capacity (kNm) increase Both shear tab and T stub stiffener can enhance the
performance of double tee connection. So the connection is
again modeled with both of them together as shown below
10 489.552 - in Fig. 23. Irregular pentagon shaped rib stiffener of
thickness 20 mm and a shear tab of thickness 10 mm is
chosen for modeling.
15 495.656 1.20 %

20 500.36 2.18 %

B. Effect of shear tab

A shear tab is a widely used connection in structural steel
frames. Only small end moments are developed in the beam
with this type of connection. Use of such shear tab can
improve the moment carrying capacity of the double tee
connection. The double tee connection is modeled with shear
tab connecting beam and column as given in Fig. 21. The
thickness of shear tab is chosen as 10 mm. The shear tab is
bolted to the web of beam and welded to the flange of
column between the top and bottom T stubs of the Fig. 4 Double tee connection with shear tab and T stub rib stiffener
connection. The bolts used for connecting the shear tab and
beam are of 22 mm diameter and three in number. The effect The moment-rotation curve obtained for this model is
of shear tab is studied from the comparison of the moment- compared with double tee connection without shear tab and
rotation curve of the model with shear tab and the model rib stiffener. This comparison of moment-rotation behavior
without shear tab as shown in Fig. 22 below. It is found that is plotted graphically below in Fig. 24. It is found that the
the ultimate moment carrying capacity of the connection can ultimate moment capacity of the connection is improved by
be increased to 7.7 % with the use of shear tab. The 12.34 %. The connection rotation remains almost the same.
connection rotation remains almost the same.

Fig. 5 Comparison of moment-rotation curve based on Shear tab and rib

Fig. 2 Double tee connection with shear tab stiffener

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D. Effect of T flange thickness
The thickness of T flange has a significant role in
increasing the moment carrying capacity of a double tee
connection. It can influence the failure mode also. The
connection is modeled by varying the T flange thickness.
The ultimate moment carrying capacities of all the models
with different T flange thickness are tabulated below in
Table 6. The thicknesses chosen for the study are 15 mm, 20
mm, 25 mm and 29 mm. Here, 15 mm and 20 mm thick T
flanges can be considered as thin flange and the other two as
thick flange. The failure mode of T stub with thin flange and
thick flange are compared and given in Fig. 25 and 26. The
thin flange T stub shows a failure mode with development of
four hinges in which two of them develops at the bolt holes
in the flange segment and the other two at the flange to web
joints. Whereas, the thick flange T stub shows a failure mode
with the occurrence of two plastic hinges at flange to web
joint and with axial failure of the bolts because of prying of
the T-flange.
It is clear that the thickness of flange of the top T-stub
has a significant role in altering the failure mode of the
overall double tee connection. When the thickness of T-
flange of the top T-stub is greater such as 29 mm, the chance
of separation of T-flange from the face of the column is
lesser. So it develops a two hinge failure mechanism with
axial bolt failure. But when the thickness of T-flange of the
top T-stub is lesser such as 15 mm, the chance of separation
of T-flange from face of the column is greater. So it develops
a four hinge failure mechanism.
The comparison of moment-rotation curves of all the
models are graphically represented and shown in Fig. 27. It
is found that the thickness of T flange is directly proportional
to the ultimate moment carrying capacity and the connection
rotation remains almost the same in every case. Hence, it is
recognized that the increase in flange thickness of T-stub can
significantly enhance the ultimate moment capacity of the
double tee connection.

TABLE VI. RESULTS OF EFFECT OF THICKNESS OF T FLANGE

T flange Ultimate moment Percentage of

thickness (mm) capacity (kNm) increase

15 339.192 -

20 406.308 19.78 %

25 437.136 28.86 %

29 456.596 34.61 % Fig. 8 Comparison of moment-rotation curve based on T flange

thickness

E. Effect of T stem thickness

The thickness of T stem also influences the moment
capacity of the connection. Double tee connection is modeled
with four different thickness of T stem. T stem of thickness
15 mm, 20 mm, 25mm, 29 mm are selected for the analysis.
The moment rotation behavior is compared and plotted as
shown in Fig. 28. It is found that the thickness of T stem is
directly proportional to the ultimate moment carrying
capacity of the overall connection. The increase in ultimate
moment with respect to the T stem thickness is presented in
Table 7.
Fig. 6 Failure mode of thin flange T stub

Fig. 7 Failure mode of thick flange T stub Fig. 1 Comparison of moment-rotation curve based on T stem thickness

10

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 TABLE VII. RESULTS OF EFFECT OF THICKNESS OF T STEM F. Effect of T stem shape
The connection is modeled with a varied shape of T stem.
T stem thickness (mm) Ultimate moment Percentage An irregular hexagonal shape is chosen for this purpose. The
capacity (kNm) of increase effect of the shape of T stem is analyzed. The two different
shapes of T stem are shown below in Fig. 31.
15 421.848 -

20 456.596 8.24 %

25 482.58 14.4 %

29 495.628 17.5 %

A 29 mm thick T stem provides the higher moment

capacity to the connection. The connection rotation remains Fig. 4 T stem shape (a) rectangular (b) irregular hexagonal
almost the same in every case. It is desirable to increase the
thickness of T-stem in order to increase the ultimate moment The use of irregular hexagonal shape of the T stem
capacity of the double tee connection. The rate of increase in showed an improved performance in double tee connection.
ultimate moment capacity is comparatively lesser. So it can The moment-rotation curve of this connection is compared
be said that the effect of T-stem thickness on the moment with that of the validated model which has rectangular
carrying capacity of the double tee connection is lesser when shaped T stem. It is plotted graphically as below in Fig. 32.
compared to the effect of T-flange thickness. The maximum moment carrying capacity of the connection
is increased by 8% by varying the shape of T stem. The
The plastic strain developed in beam is lesser for a lower connection rotation remains almost the same in every case.
thickness of T stem. Especially in beam web, there is no
plastic strain developed for a T stem thickness of 15 mm. But
29 mm thick T stem, a higher value of plastic strain is
developed in the beam web. At the same time in case of
plastic strain in T stem is much higher for 15 mm thick T
stem and lower for 29 mm thick T stem. This is shown in
Fig. 29 and 30. It is clear that decrease in T stem thickness
leads to a lesser plastic strain in beam web and a higher
plastic strain in T stem.

Fig. 5 Comparison of moment-rotation curve based on T stem shape

V. CONCLUSIONS
A double tee connection is modeled and analyzed with
finite element method. The performance of this connection
by adding T stub rib stiffener and shear tab into the beam
column joint is investigated. The moment-rotation behavior
Fig. 2 Plastic strain developed for 15 mm T stem is studied from the results. The effect of parameters like T
flange thickness, T stem thickness and T stem shape on
ultimate moment carrying capacity of the connection is also
evaluated. The main conclusions are as follows:
(1) The T stub has a significant role in enhancing the
performance of a beam column joint. It helps to repair the
connection easily since the plastic deformations are
concentrated only in the T stub area.
(2) The moment carrying capacity of the connection
can be improved by adding T stub stiffener into the beam
column joint. It is found that the irregular pentagonal shaped
T stub rib stiffener shows better performance than other
shapes. But the thickness of the rib stiffener does not
Fig. 3 Plastic strain developed for 29 mm T stem contribute much to the performance of the connection.

11

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 (3) Adding shear tab to connect the beam web to
column flange can also increase the ultimate moment
carrying capacity of the connection by 7.70% approximately.
If both the shear tab and rib stiffener is incorporated into the
double tee connection, it can give a much higher percentage
increase in ultimate moment value, which is 12.34%.
(4) T flange thickness influences the moment capacity
as well as failure mode. For a thin flanged T stub, the failure
occurs with four plastic hinges whereas, for a thick flanged T
stub, the failure occurs with two plastic hinges along with
axial bolt failure. A 29 mm thick flanged T stub can give a
higher value of ultimate moment to the connection.
(5) By increasing T stem thickness the moment
carrying capacity of the double tee connection can be
enhanced. And decrease in T stem thickness leads to a lesser
plastic strain in beam web and a higher plastic strain in T
stem.
(6) The T stem shape can also affect the performance of
double tee connection. An irregular hexagonal shaped T stem
can increase the ultimate moment carrying capacity by 8%
than that rectangular shaped T stub.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I am thankful to my guide, head of the department,
principal, friends, family and all other who provided
expertise that greatly supported me in completing this thesis.
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