Strength of Gapped K-connections with HSS and Longitudinal Double Plates

Abstract

The research reported herein investigated the behavior of gapped K-connections comprising square hollow structural sections (HSS) for a chord and a compression branch, a high-strength tensile rod for a tension branch, and a pair of longitudinal plates separated by distance for a connecting element. The main experimental parameters for 12 specimens were the width-to-thickness ratio of the chord (2γ) with 16.7 ≤ 2γ ≤ 33.3, the width ratio between the compression branch and the chord (ß1) with 0.5 ≤ ß₁ ≤ 0.875, and the width ratio between the tension branch to the chord (ß2) with 0.42 ≤ ß2 ≤ 0.82. Experimental results showed that the general failure mode was a combination of chord plastification and punching shear. It was also found that the width ratio between the tension branch and the chord (ß2) has a greater effect on the connection strength. Since there was no equation in CIDECT that could be used to estimate the strength of the connections tested in this study, a new equation was proposed from the yield line analysis.

Keywords

HSS connections double longitudinal plates ultimate strength yield line theory

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

AWS. (1992). Structural Welding Code – ANSI/AWS D1. 1–92, American Welding Society, Miami, Florida, USA.

Bjork

Marquis

Kempainen

and Ilvonen

(2003). “The capacity of cold-formed rectangular hollow section K-gap joints.” Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Tubular Structures, pp. 227–234.

Cao

J.J.

Packer

J.A.

and Kosteski

(1998a). “Design guidelines for longitudinal plate to HSS connections.” Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 124, No. 7, pp. 784–791.

Cao

J.J.

Packer

J.A.

and Yang

G.J.

(1998b). “Yield line analysis of RHS connections with axial loads.” Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 1–25.

CIDECT. (1986). Monograph No. 6: The Strength and Behavior of Statically Loaded Welded Connections in Structural Hollow Sections, Corby, England.

Davies

and Packer

J.A.

(1982). “Predicting the strength of branch plate-RHS connections for punching shear.” Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 458–467.

European Committee for Standardization. (2003). Eurocode 3: Design of Steel Structures. prEN 1993-1-1, British Standards Institution, London, England.

Fleischer

and Puthli

R.S.

(2003). “RHS K joints with b/t ratios and gaps not covered by Eurocode 3.” Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Tubular Structures, Madrid, Spain, pp. 207–215.

Kato

and Nishiyama

(1980). “T-joints made of rectangular tubes.” Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures, St. Louis, MI, pp. 663–679.

10.

Kosteski

and Packer

J.A.

(2003a). “Longitudinal plate and through plate-to-hollow structural section welded connections.” Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 129, No. 4, pp. 478–486.

11.

Kosteski

and Packer

J.A.

(2003b). “Welded tee-to-HSS connections.” Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 129, No. 2, pp. 151–159.

12.

Liu

D.K.

and Wardenier

(2003). “The strength of multiplanar KK-joints of square hollow sections.” Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Tubular Structures, Madrid, Spain, pp. 197–205.

13.

L.H.

De Winkel

G.D.

and Wardenier

(1994). “Deformation limit for the ultimate strength of hollow section joints.” Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Tubular Structures, Rotterdam, Balkema, pp. 341–347.

14.

Packer

J.A.

and Henderson

J.E.

(2003). Hollow Structural Section Connections and Trusses – A Design Guide, Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC), Toronto, Canada.

15.

Packer

J.A.

Wardenier

Kurobane

Dutta

and Yeomans

(1992). Design Guide for Rectangular Hollow Section (RHS) Joints Under Predominantly Static Loading, CIDECT (ed.) and Verlag TÜV Rheinland GmbH, Köln, Germany.

16.

Sherman

D.R.

(1996). “Designing with structural tubing.” AISC Engineering Journal, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 101–109.

17.

Wardenier

(2001). Hollow Sections in Structural Application, CIDECT.

18.

Zhao

X.L.

(2004). “Yield line mechanism analysis of steel members and connections.” Progress in Structural Engineering and Materials, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 252–262.

19.

Zhao

X.L.

and Hancock

G.J.

(1991). “T-joints in rectangular hollow sections subject to combined actions.” Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 117, No. 8, pp. 2258–2277.