The connections of structural steel framing members are a critical component of building safety and stability.

Connection failures occur when the connection is no longer able to perform its intended design function of
transferring the reactions from one element of the structure to another. In some circumstances the failure of a
connection in structural systems which have no redundancy may result in an overall catastrophic collapse of the
structure itself. In the event of a weld failure, it is imperative to follow proper forensic engineering procedures. The
implementation of repair procedures, without investigating and determining the actual cause, simply masks the
problem and will not reduce the risk of repeated failures in the future. This could be detrimental to the safety and
stability of the whole structure. In a recent construction project of a thirty story high rise building, weld cracks were
observed on both shop and field welded connections and members. Some cracks appeared months after the testing
and inspection agency had certified these welds as acceptable. In addition, the failures occurred in connections and
elements that were significantly dissimilar from one another. This paper examines the forensic engineering analysis
procedures used in determining the causes of the various weld failures, the procedures to repair them, and how to
avoid the recurrence of additional failures.

Read More: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/40753(171)238