Optimisation and Mechanical Behaviour Analysis of Splice Joints in Prefabricated H-Shaped Steel Beams

This study investigated the mechanical behaviour of splice joints in prefabricated H-shaped steel beams assembled using high-strength bolts under four-point bending. Four distinct splice joint configurations were tested through mechanical experiments on prefabricated H-shaped steel beams to examine their failure modes, flexural strength, and stress distribution in the sections. Numerical simulations were performed using ANSYS finite element software to validate the experimental results. Findings reveal that specimens with double splice joints exhibit a significant reduction in both flexural bearing capacity and stiffness compared to those with single splice joints. Moreover, the distance between splice joints is a critical factor affecting the bearing capacity of the specimen. The splice joints in both the H-shaped steel and connecting plates are classified as semi-rigid connections. Additionally, the stress distribution at the splice joints deviates from the plane section assumption. A formula for calculating the deflection of spliced specimens in the elastic stage under pure bending was developed and validated with experimental data.