This study aimed at proposing a finite element model for predicting the initial rotational stiffness and plastic moment capacity of the Type A top and seat angle connection without double web angles. The main parameter of the 3D nonlinear finite element analysis was the bolt gage distance of the top angle. The finite element analysis resulted not only in the rotational stiffness and the plastic moment capacity, but also in the stress distribution and the plastic hinge location. The study

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... d the applicability of the finite element model by comparing the results of the finite element analysis with those of existing experimental studies. Keywords: top and seat angle connection; initial rotational stiffness; plastic moment capacity; three-dimensional finite element analysis Finite Element Analysis of the Top and Seat Angle Connection 2.1 Modeling of the top and seat angle connection Existing finite element analyses of the top and seat angle connection have attempted to determine the stiffness and strength of the connection with the use of parameters including the friction coefficient between materials, the initial tension force of high strength bolts, the top angle thickness, and the gage distance of the high strength bolts 8),9) . Among these parameters, this study only used the gage distance of the high strength bolts on the top angle connection, which has the most effect on the behavior of the top and seat angle connection. As shown in Fig.1 ., the top angles used in this study were the L-100x100x7, L-100x100x10, and L-100x100x13 equilateral angles, and the seat angle was an L-100x100x10 equilateral angle. The gage distance of the high strength bolts of each top angle was set to g t = 45, 55 and 65 mm, respectively. The top and seat angles were modeled in such a way that they were fastened by F10T-M20 bolts. These bolts had pretension force of 165kN to the top and bottom flange of each column and beam. The material properties of the top and seat angles and high strength bolts required for the finite element