Development of practical design methods for steel structures with semi-rigid connections

The use of semi-rigid joints is among the novelties incorporated in Eurocode 3. Although the benefits of semi-rigid joints are extensively documented, they are not really used much in practice. There is a lack of appropriate design methods, models and tools. In this article a design method suitable for semi-rigid joints assumption is introduced. The proposed method allows to optimize not only the size of the structural profiles, but also the joint design to make it fit to the optimal theoretical values. Pre-design methods for semi-rigid extended end-plate joints are also provided to easily check the feasibility and suitability of a connection design. Two design examples are proposed to demonstrate the application of the proposed semi-rigid design methods, and their results compared to pinned and rigid alternatives. The semi-rigid approach results in more economical solutions.