Journal of Applied Science and Engineering

Published by Tamkang University Press

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Cover Plate Integration in Reduced Beam Section Connections: Stress Redistribution and Seismic Performance Enhancement

 2026

 Volume 32

Cintantya Budi Casita1,2, Data Iranata3, Budi Suswanto4, Masahide Matsumura5, and Abdul Rochim6

1Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia, 60111

2Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jawa Timur, 60294

3Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia, 60111

4Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia, 60111

5Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan, 860-8555

6Design Engineer, PT. Inti Teknik Solusi Cemerlang, Surabaya, Indonesia 60239

Received: October 17, 2025
Accepted: March 01, 2026
Publication Date: May 4, 2026

上傳圖片

Geometry of radius cut RBS

 Copyright The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are cited.

Download Citation:  BibTeX | http://dx.doi.org/10.6180/jase.202609_32.027  

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This study presents a comparative evaluation of four steel beam-to-column connection configurations: Conventional (CONV), Cover Plate (CP), Reduced Beam Section (RBS), and a hybrid Reduced Beam Section with Cover Plate (RBSCP), under cyclic loading conditions, with particular emphasis on hysteresis behavior and energy dissipation capacity. Finite element simulations were performed up to 6 % story drift to evaluate each model’s performance against the seismic demand limits prescribed in ASCE/SEI 41-17. All configurations demonstrated adequate ductility for moderate to severe seismic events. The CONV connection underperformed in both energy dissipation and stiffness retention, producing narrower hysteresis loops and exhibiting earlier stiffness degradation. In contrast, the CP connection achieved the highest energy dissipation and moment strength at all drift levels, attributed to the increased flange stiffness from the cover plates. The RBS connection exhibited stable, well balanced hysteresis loops with slightly lower strength but effective energy dissipation, benefiting from the intentional relocation of the plastic hinge away from the column face. The RBSCP connection combined the advantages of strength and ductility, sustaining broad and stable hysteresis loops with minor asymmetry between the positive and negative directions. Although it did not surpass the CP connection in peak strength, the RBSCP connection offered a well-balanced seismic performance. Analysis of the cyclic hysteresis loops revealed distinct differences in stiffness characteristics and degradation behavior. These findings highlight the potential of hybrid configurations such as the RBSCP connection, with further geometric optimization recommended to enhance consistency and reliability.

Keywords:  Cover Plate; Cyclic Loading; RBSCP Connection; Reduced Beam Section; Seismic Performance; Seismic Enhancement

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