FAILURES INDUCED BY CONNECTION DEFICIENCIES

When dealing with connections, the common feeling of designers consists in that they are facing a detailing issue. Connections are generally designed at the very last design stages for the actions the connected members are transferring each other, as derived by the structural analysis, with poor attention on effective geometric or constructional boundaries. A review of significant structural failures through the last decades due to deficiency either in design or in execution of connections is carried out. Finally, a possible way forward is proposed to approach the design of connections, which should guide designers and contractors, also addressing the product dependency, when relevant.