Unsafe design and detailing of the beamcolumn joint jeopardizes the entire structure, even if other structural members fit into the design requirements. A study is conducted considering the importance of joint shear failure which influences strength, ductility, and stability of RC moment-resisting frames, an exterior beam-column joint is modeled considering finite element (FE) using ABAQUS software. Four models MODEL 1 as per IS 13920:1993 provisions, MODEL 2 & MODEL 3 as per IS 13920:1993 provisions with a curtailment of bottom longitudinal rebar in the beam at joint face and MODEL 4 with modification of MODEL 2 by providing extra fillet section of 50*50 mm at the bottom face of the beam-column joint are considered. A 3D Finite Element model capable of appropriately modeling the concrete stress-strain behavior, tensile cracking, and compressive damage of concrete and indirect modeling of a steelconcrete bond are used. To define the nonlinear behavior of concrete material, the concrete damage plasticity is applied to the numerical model as a distributed plasticity over the whole geometry. It was concluded that the ultimate load-carrying capacity of MODEL 1 is 7.5% more than MODEL 2, 15% more than MODEL 3, and 3% more than MODEL 4.

Keywords : Beam-Column Joint, Abaqus, Concrete Damage Plasticity, Crack Pattern.