Two major methods of beam-column connections in steel structure buildings

Steel structure engineering is one of the main types of building structures, commonly used in modern construction projects. Steel's characteristics of high strength, light self-weight, good overall rigidity, and strong deformation ability make it particularly suitable for constructing large-span, super-high, and super-heavy buildings. The connections between beams and columns in steel structure workshops should be safe, reliable, and easy for manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Generally, there are two types of connections: flexible connections and rigid connections. Let's delve into the specific methods.

For buildings with a large number of additional floors or those not suitable for directly adding floors to the original structure, a technique known as jacketed steel frame addition is applied. This method is also referred to as an exterior frame addition structure. The jacketed steel frame addition structure is mainly divided into two categories: detached and integral. The former completely separates the exterior frame from the old house, while the latter indicates that the jacketed steel frame is integrated with the old house structure.

1. Flexible Connections: The characteristic of flexible connections is that the wall panels and the steel frame of the workshop, as well as between panels, can have relative independent displacement within a specific range. This ability allows them to adapt well to deformations caused by vibrations. The construction forms of flexible connections generally include bolted hook flexible connections, angle steel hook flexible connections, and pressure bar flexible connections.

2. Rigid Connections: Rigid connections involve welding each panel to the column using steel, eliminating the need for additional steel supports. The weight of the wall panels is fully borne by the columns, requiring less steel material for connection components. However, this results in the loss of conditions for relative independent displacement between wall panels and the steel frame of the workshop. Under the influence of loads caused by vibrations and uneven settlements, walls are prone to crack and damage.

3. Treatment of Panel Joints: The treatment of panel joints first requires waterproofing and should consider the convenience of manufacturing and installation. For insulation wall panels, attention should also be paid to meeting insulation requirements. Depending on the situation, various forms can be adopted.

   Horizontal joints can be made into flat joints, concave-convex mismatch joints, tongue-and-groove joints, etc. Considering factors such as manufacturing, construction, and prevention of rainwater penetration under gravity and wind forces, mismatch joints are considered more ideal and are widely used in practice.