WELDING QUALITY AND SEISMIC PERFORMANCE OF EXITING STEEL BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED IN EARLY 1980S

Abstract

This paper presents results of welding inspection and loading tests conducted to beam-to-column connections cut out from two existing steel buildings constructed in the early 1980s. From the results of thorough welding inspections, i.e. macro-structure tests and ultrasonic inspection, characteristics of welding defects are investigated regarding the location of defects in the deposited metals, kind of defects, and the rate of occurrence. From the results of dynamic loading tests conducted on the beam-to-column connections, the influence of defects on the deformation capacity and the failure procedure are observed.