Beam web and shear plate connections shall satisfy the following limitations.
The shear plate shall be welded to the column flange using a CJP groove weld, a PJP groove weld, or a combination of PJP and fillet welds. The shear plate shall be bolted to the beam web and fillet welded to the beam web. The horizontal fillet welds at the top and bottom of the shear plate shall be terminated at a distance not less than one fillet weld size from the end of the beam. The beam web shall be connected to the column flange using a CJP groove weld extending the full height of the shear plate. The shear plate connection shall be permitted to be used as backing for the CJP groove weld. The beam web-to-column flange CJP groove weld shall conform to the requirements for demand critical welds in the AISCE Seismic Provisions.
(a) If weld tabs are used, they need not be removed.
- (b) If weld tabs are not used, the CJP groove weld shall be terminated in a manner that minimizes notches and stress concentrations, such as with the use of cascaded welds. Cascaded welds shall be performed at a maximum angle of 45° relative to the axis of the weld. Nondestructive testing (NDT) of the cascaded weld ends need not be performed.