Shear-Flexural Interaction in Analysis of Reduced Web Section Beams using VM Link Element

Reduced web section beams in shear-yielding moment-resistant steel frames are used for energy dissipating of earthquakes. The finite element analysis indicates that failure mode of these beams are governed by the combination of shear force and flexural moment. Therefore the analysis of frames with reduced web section beams needs consideration of shear-flexural interaction in those sections. In the present paper, modeling and analysis of reduced web section beams are investigated by using a special element which is called VM link element. The elastic and inelastic shear and flexural deformations and tangential stiffnesses in this link element are considered by using the multi-surfaces plasticity concept with dissimilar yield surfaces. The developed VM link element is examined for some reduced web section beams and it is shown that the results have a good agreement with the finite element results.