Experimental and numerical investigation on unstiffened and stiffened T-stubs

In the framework of a project on robustness recently carried out in Trento, an experimental study of unstiffened and stiffened T-stub elements associated with a flush end-plate beam-to-column connection was carried out. The work focused on the T-stub column flange response under pure tension and under combined axial and shear forces. In the tests, three positions of the stiffener with respect to the bolts' row were considered. Experimental results were then used to develop and val-idate reliable F.E. numerical models. The paper presents and discusses the tests and the principal outcomes of their evaluation. Furthermore, some results of the numerical analyses are also introduced and discussed.