Steel structures are well established as the preferred material for constructing seismic resisting systems in New Zealand and around the world. While the majority of steel framing is made of carbon steel, stainless steel is increasingly being considered for designing exposed steel structures. Because of significant differences in the mechanical properties between the two materials, seismic resisting system design rules for connections between carbon steel members may not be applicable, at least without modification, to connections between stainless steel members. This study has investigated the seismic performance of welded T-shaped beam-column moment resisting connections made of structural stainless steel beams and columns manufactured by laser welding. The paper included the results of three large-scale T-shaped specimens, of varying sizes, subjected to seismic loads. The grade of laser-fused stainless steel was 304 L and its specification was according to ASTM A276. The sections were subject to the seismic tests in accordance with the SAC protocol given in ANSI/AISC 341-10. The results shows substantial amount of energy dissipation by welded moment resisting stainless steel connections along with a high ductility capability and dependable behaviour in the inelastic range.
