Characterization of unstiffened column webs in transverse compression in steel beam-to-column joints

The component method is widely used nowadays for the analytical prediction of the mechanical properties (rotational elastic stiffness, design resistance and ductility/deformation capacity) of steel and composite beam-to-column joints. The Part 1-8 of Eurocode 3 (EN 1993-1-8) provides expressions for the evaluation of the properties of many different joint components. However, a quick examination of EN 1993-1-8 highlights a glaring disproportion between the quantity of information related to rotational stiffness and plastic resistance, and that related to ductility and deformation capacity. For the latter, only few recommendations are provided, sometimes in line, and sometimes even not with the component approach itself. Present paper concerns one of these components, the “column web in transverse compression” (CWC), for which no information is basically available in terms of ductility. An original procedure for the prediction of the plastic deformation capacity is presented. It relies on a preliminary evaluation of the four main component properties: elastic stiffness, plastic resistance, post-plastic stiffness and ultimate resistance. Through this study, more accurate analytical formulae than those provided by EN 1993-1-8 for the evaluation of the plastic resistance are also suggested. All the developments are validated through extensive comparisons with already available experimental tests performed in various countries.