Innovative joints in steel construction

Innovative concepts for beam-to-column joints are currently under development. The emphasis with these new forms is on providing an incentive for the mass production of joints and connections, automating the process of structural assembly and reducing dangerous erection procedures. Two alternative concepts for moment-transmitting joints are addressed below. The joints include modular connecting elements that provide stability during the erection phase and are later finished to ensure that the design loads are transferred from the beam to the column. The development phase of these concepts is dealt with in this paper.