FR and FMC Connections

[MacGruber22]

Has anyone heard of the terms "full continuity" and "partial continuity" when referring to FR and FMC connections? I searched AISC and Googled, and found nothing. A drawing I am reviewing uses those words to describe the type of moment connection that need to be designed for particular moments indicated on the plans. Their details call for direct welded (beam to column flanges) with PJP welds - this cannot be a FMC connection, as I don't see how you achieve the rotational ductility for the gravity loads, so I don't know what those words could mean.

The only thing I could think of is that transverse stiffeners in columns for moment connections are called "continuity" plates.

 

[KootK]

I would expect that it's the difference between fully restrained and partially restrained moment connections.

The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.

 

[KootK]

Or maybe the difference between full depth and partial depth column stiffeners?

Perhaps the details shown were generic and were never intended to apply to the PR connections. Do you have access to the EOR?

The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.

 

[MacGruber22]

I would have thought the first one, but I reviewed the analysis and the frames were modeled with fully fixed beam-column joints. So, that can't be.

Anyways, I got in touch with the EOR and it was only meant to describe that the connections did not have to be designed to full plastic moments, because the moments are tabulated on the framing plans.

I don't know why they needed to say that - if there are moments on the framing plans, and the specifications say nothing about designing them otherwise, they are getting designed based on FR moment connections with the loads indicated.