One-piece moment frame connector

Abstract

A one-piece moment frame connector is formed from a single piece of structural steel such as an I-beam or standard structural W-shape beam. Initially, a section, or blank, may be cut from a beam. The blank may be severed transverse to the length of the beam, so that the blank includes first and second flanges connected by a web. The web may be cut in the middle to form a pair of one-piece moment frame connectors, each having a vertical plate and a horizontal plate. The pair of moment frame connectors may be used in a single moment frame connection, one connector at the top and the other connector at the bottom. This ensures that the two connectors have the same internal composition and as such, the same response to lateral loads.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pair of structural connectors used in a moment frame connection, comprising:
 a first T-plate connector taken from a blank cut from a beam, the T-plate connector comprising;
 a first vertical plate formed from a first flange of the beam, and 
 a first horizontal plate extending from and integrally formed with the vertical plate, the first horizontal plate formed from a web of the beam; and 
   a second T-plate connector taken from the blank, the second T-plate connector comprising;
 a second vertical plate formed from a second flange of the beam, and 
 a second horizontal plate extending from and integrally formed with the second vertical plate, the second horizontal plate formed from the web of the beam. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 1 , wherein the beam is a structural steel component with a standard structural shape comprising one of a W-shape, an S-shape, an HP shape and an M-shape. 
     
     
         3 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 1 , wherein a grain of the first T-plate connector aligns with a grain of the second T-plate connector when installed in the moment frame. 
     
     
         4 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 1 , wherein the first horizontal plate extends orthogonally from the first vertical plate. 
     
     
         5 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 4 , wherein the second horizontal plate extends orthogonally from the second vertical plate. 
     
     
         6 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 1 , wherein the first horizontal plate extends from a mid-section of the first vertical plate to divide the first vertical plate into two sections of equal size. 
     
     
         7 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 6 , wherein the second horizontal plate extends from a mid-section of the second vertical plate to divide the second vertical plate into two sections of equal size. 
     
     
         8 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates have the same size and shape. 
     
     
         9 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates have a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         10 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates have a trapezoidal shape. 
     
     
         11 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates each have tapered edges. 
     
     
         12 . A pair of structural connectors used in a moment frame connection, comprising:
 a first T-plate connector taken from a first section of a beam, the T-plate connector comprising;
 a first vertical plate formed from a first flange of the beam, and 
 a first horizontal plate extending from and integrally formed with the vertical plate, the first horizontal plate formed from a web of the beam; and 
   a second T-plate connector taken from a second section of the beam, the second T-plate connector comprising;
 a second vertical plate formed from a second flange of the beam, and 
 a second horizontal plate extending from and integrally formed with the second vertical plate, the second horizontal plate formed from the web of the beam. 
   
     
     
         13 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 12 , wherein the first vertical plate incudes a first pattern of bolt holes, and the second vertical plate includes a second pattern of bolt holes, the first and second patterns of bolt holes being identical to each other. 
     
     
         14 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 12 , wherein the first horizontal plate incudes a third pattern of bolt holes, and the second horizontal plate includes a fourth pattern of bolt holes, the third and fourth patterns of bolt holes being identical to each other. 
     
     
         15 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 12 , wherein a grain of the first T-plate connector aligns with a grain of the second T-plate connector when installed in the moment frame. 
     
     
         16 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates have the same size and shape. 
     
     
         17 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates have a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         18 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates have a trapezoidal shape. 
     
     
         19 . The pair of structural connectors of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates each have tapered edges. 
     
     
         20 . A moment frame connector, comprising:
 a blank including first and second flanges connected by a web, the blank taken from a section of beam, and the blank comprising:
 a first T-plate connector comprising;
 a first vertical plate formed of the first flange of the blank, and 
 a first horizontal plate extending from and integrally formed with the vertical plate, the first horizontal plate formed from a first section of the web of the blank; and 
 
 a second T-plate connector comprising;
 a second vertical plate formed of the second flange of the blank, and 
 a second horizontal plate extending from and integrally formed with the second vertical plate, the second horizontal plate formed from a second section of the web of the blank. 
 
   
     
     
         21 . The moment frame connector of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second horizontal plates have the same size and shape. 
     
     
         22 . A method of fabricating a moment frame connector, the method comprising:
 (a) cutting a blank from a structural steel component including a first flange, a second flange and a web extending orthogonally between the first and second flanges and integrally formed with the first and second flanges;   (b) cutting patterns of bolt holes into the first flange, the second flange and the web; and   (c) cutting the blank across a width of the web to form first and second T-plate connectors, each T-plate connector of the first and second T-plate connectors comprising a first vertical plate formed of one of the first and second flanges, and a horizontal plate extending from and integrally formed with the vertical plate, the horizontal plate formed from a section of the web of the blank.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said step (c) of cutting the blank across a width of the web to form first and second T-plate connectors comprises the step of cutting the blank into two halves of equal sizes. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said step (c) of cutting the blank across a width of the web to form first and second T-plate connectors comprises the step of forming the horizontal plates with a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said step (b) is performed before said step (c). 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said step (c) is performed before said step (b). 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said step (b) is performed by one of plasma cutting and laser cutting.