A study on the seismic performance of concrete-filled square steel tube column-to-beam connections reinforced with asymmetric lower diaphragms

This paper studies the development of the through-type concrete-filled square steel tube column-to-beam connection, reinforced with an asymmetric lower diaphragm. This type of connection can be used in weak-earthquake regions such as Korea. A simple tension test was performed on the suggested lower diaphragms and the combined cross diaphragm in order to confirm their tensile behavior. Subsequently, four types of concrete-filled square steel tube column-to-beam connection (with combined cross diaphragm, nothing, horizontal T-bar and vertical plate as lower diaphragm) were fabricated in actual size and tested according to the ANSI/AISC SSPEC 2002 cyclic loading program. The horizontal T-bar and stud bolts in the vertical plates were designed to transmit the tensile stress from the bottom flange of the beam to the filled concrete. All the test specimens satisfied the 0.01 radian inelastic rotation capacity requirements for the composite ordinary moment frame (C-OMF) of the AISC seismic provisions. It was concluded that the suggested simplified lower diaphragms have sufficient strength, stiffness and plastic deformation capacity to be used in the field.