A component model for welded beam-to-column joints with beams of unequal depth

In many practical situations, internal nodes connect beams with unequal depth whenever the span lengths are not uniform. Following the methodology defined in EC 3-1-8, this paper presents a component model that is able to reproduce accurately the complex behavior of welded beam-to-column joints with beams of unequal height, which corresponds to a node configuration that is not yet covered in the EC 3 design rules. Based on an experimental program carried out at the University of Coimbra, the relevant components for the column web panel under a non-uniform stress state are characterized, leading to the development of a new design procedure that extends the scope of EC 3-1-8.