Designing frames with semi-rigid joints: From research to practice

Eurocode 3-Part 1 and more especially its Annex J introduce new concepts for the design of structural joints in framed structures. Designers could be faced to some difficulties when trying first to understand and second to apply these novelties in the daily practice. Having that in mind, teams from several countries have joined their efforts with the aim to demystify the subject and to demonstrate that the apparent complexity and intricacy is nothing else than a mirage. It is shown that consideration of the actual joint behaviour, by means of an idealization of the latter, results in design approaches that, though slightly different from usual ones, are not of greater difficulty. Moreover helpful design tools and user’s manual are being prepared and will be available very soon. Present paper is aimed at a brief presentation of the work developed in this respect.