The semi-rigid behaviour of three-dimensional steel beam-to-column steel joints subjected to proportional loading. Part II: Theoretical model and validation

The component method proposed by the Eurocode is an excellent and versatile analysis tool, which can be applied to a wide variety of joints. However, it lacks appropriate components to predict the behaviour of minor-axis and three-dimensional joints. In this paper, a new component for laterally supported plates in bending (applied here to the column web and to the additional plate in bending) is presented and applied to minor-axis joints. Also, complete elastic models for both major- and minor-axis three-dimensional joints are presented. The proposed models take into account the effects on the elastic behaviour of each component caused by proportional loading along both axes.