Hybrid Beam-Column Element with End Frictional Joints

Most research on semirigid jointed frames include only the rotational flexibility of the joint without consideration of the flexibility in the direction of the shear force. This paper investigates the nonlinear frictional behavior of a bolted slotted joint which includes flexibility in the tangential direction. The contact behavior at the end of the slot is also studied. The joint is prestressed with axial tension in the bolt shank. A virtual connection spring element is included at the intersection point between the beam and the column members. The formulation of the hybrid beam-column element including the end springs is presented, and the elemental matrices are also given for easy and direct implementation into finite-element analysis for static and/or dynamic loading.