Reduced Web Section (RWS) connections can prevent lateral-torsional buckling and web local buckling experienced by Reduced Beam Section (RBS) connections. In RWS connections, removing a large portion of web can result in shear demand intolerance induced to plastic hinge region. The present study aims at resolving the problems of RBS and RWS connections through proposing two new connections: (1) RBS with stiffener (RBS-ST) and (2) RBS with reduced web (RW-RBS) connections. In the first connection (RBS-ST), a series of stiffeners is connected to the beam in the reduced flange region and the second connection (RW-RBS) considers both a reduction in flanges and a reduction in web. Five beam-to-column joints with three different connections; including, (1) RBS, (2) RBS-ST, and (3) RW-RBS connections were considered and simulated in ABAQUS. According to the results, RBS-ST and RW-RBS connections can decrease or even remove lateral-torsional buckling and web local buckling appeared in RBS connection. Noted that RW-RBS connection is more effective in long beams having smaller shear demands in the plastic hinge region. Moreover, the results showed that RBS and RW-RBS connections experienced the strength degradation at 4 to 5% drift, while no strength degradation was observed in RBS-ST connection till 8% drift.
