Abstract
Space trusses composed of tubular steel members with stamped ends connected by a single bolt (system 1) are commonly used in Brazil. Although this is a simple solution and, therefore, interesting from an economic standpoint, it has presented structural problems, since the reduction of inertia at the member ends and the eccentricities are not foreseen in the design phase. This fact has caused some roofs to collapse partially or even totally, posing serious safety risks for their users. Another system that has been widely employed consists of members with stamped ends bolted to a node device made up of welded plates (system 2), which eliminates eccentricities at the nodes. In this study, the structural performance of the type of stamping was initially analyzed by axial compression tests on members, followed by tests on space truss prototypes composed of system 1 and system 2. The experimental results were compared to the theoretical values obtained based on the classical models adopted in designs, allowing for the overall evaluation of structural performance of both systems, thus contributing toward the safe use of these structures.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.