Top Things to Know About HSS Connections

SEAAK
On-Line Presentation
Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Brad Fletcher, S.E.

Atlas Tube – Market Leader

 Largest size range in North America

• 1”–16” square, up to 5/8” wall
• 1.25” – 20” round, up to 5/8” wall
• Now offering Jumbo HSS
 Shortest rolling cycle in the industry
• 2 – 3 weeks for common sizes
 Able to roll custom lengths to minimize cost, waste, column
splices
• Rolled lengths up to 135 ft. for rounds, up to 85 ft. for sq. & rect.
 Five production facilities in North America
 Leading producer of ASTM A500, CSA G40 (Class C & H)
and ASTM A1085
 In-House Heat Treating
 Leading producer of CSA Class H HSS
 Products stocked by service centers across North America
New Availability Charts
Jumbo HSS

Through a partnership with NSMP &

Mitsui, Atlas is now offering large HSS
• 10” & 12” sq. x .750”
• 14” & 16” sq. x .750”, .875”
• 18” & 20” sq. x .5”, .625”, .750”, .875”
• 22” sq. x .750”, .875”
• 20” x 12” x .750”
• 24” x 12” x .5”, .625”, .750”

Material stocked and readily available

Large quantities can be mill ordered
Available as A500 or CSA G40
Also available in new ASTM A1085
 Jumbo HSS

Construction of the Largest

Continuous ERW Tube Mill

CHICAGO (May 7, 2019) — Zekelman Industries

announced today the construction of the world’s
largest continuous ERW tube mill. The mill will be
capable of producing hollow structural sections (HSS)
with a size range of 8″ square x 0.750″ wall up to 22″
square x 1″ wall. Atlas Tube, a division of Zekelman
Industries, will produce square, rectangular and round
structural sections in the mill. The largest rectangular
section will be 34″ x 10″ x 1″ wall, and the largest
round section will be 28″ OD x 1″ wall. The new mill
will produce products to meet or exceed ASTM A500,
ASTM A1085, CSA G40 and ASTM A252. This will be
the first time ERW sections above 16″ square will be
available domestically.
 Jumbo HSS

Round HSS up to
28” OD

Square HSS up to
22” x 22”

Rectangle HSS up
to 24” x 12” and
34” x 10”

Wall thickness up
to 1.0”

Design Properties
available on Atlas
website

Available Fall 2021

 HSS Connections - Learning Objectives

• Learn about some of the most frequently asked

questions about HSS connections

• Learn to avoid some of the pitfalls associated with

HSS connections that can make them costly and
difficult to fabricate

• Learn about unique solutions to common connection

challenges

• Learn to appreciate the differences and similarities

between HSS connections and other types of
connections.
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 Why 0.93?

 Per AISC 360-10, Section B4.2:

“The design wall thickness, t, shall be used in calculations involving the wall thickness of
hollow structural sections (HSS). The design wall thickness, t, shall be taken equal to
0.93 times the nominal wall thickness for electric-resistance-welded (ERW) HSS and
equal to the nominal thickness for submerged-arc-welded (SAW) HSS.”
 ERW HSS – produced to ASTM A500 and A53
 SAW HSS- typically sizes larger than permitted in the A500 (ASTM A1065)
 Per AISC 360-16, Section B4.2:
“…..The design wall thickness, t, shall be taken as equal to the nominal thickness for box-
sections and HSS produced according to ASTM A1065/A1065M or ASTM
A1085/A1085M. For HSS produced according to other standards approved for use under
this Specification, the design wall thickness, t, shall be taken as 0.93 times the nominal
wall thickness.”

 Per CISC Handbook of Steel Construction

 “…Design Wall Thickness is taken as 0.90 times the nominal thickness.”

 Tolerances
 ASTM A500 – Wall thickness tolerance: +/- 10%
 ASTM A53 – Wall thickness tolerance: -12.5%
 Why 0.93?

AISC 360-10, Chp K, Section 1.1:

“t = design wall thickness of HSS, in. (mm)”
Welded Plate vs. Slotted Through Plate

 For rect/sq HSS slotted

through plate has twice the
capacity compared to
welded plate
 Slotted plate is more
expensive to fabricate
 Is double the capacity
needed and warrant the
additional cost?
 Can this be applied to
round HSS?
Slotted HSS Gusset Plate Connections

 Check Limit States associated with HSS

 HSS Tensile Yielding (Gross Area)
 HSS Tensile Rupture (Net Section) – Need to
account for effective area (due to slot extending
further than plate) and the effect of shear lag.
 Base metal shear in HSS & gusset plate
 Weld metal shear
 Typical gusset plate limit states due to bolting
 Cannot develop yield strength of bracing
member due to shear lag
 Per AISC 360 Table D3.1 ( Shear Lag Factor U)
 Except Case 5 – Round HSS with weld length l >
1.3D
 Length of weld l should be > H or D
(distance between welds)
 This is implied with U factors in Table D3.1 (Cases 5
& 6)
Slotted HSS Gusset Plate Connections

Changes coming in 2022 AISC 360

 Cast Connections

 Can be a unique, highly aesthetic

solution to the connection “problem”
 Typically custom made, project specific,
expensive
 Usually thought of when dealing with
nodes
 Cast Connections – Cast Connex

 Can also be used for “everyday”

connections such as diagonal bracing
 “Off the shelf” castings are becoming
more popular
 Good, cost competitive solution for SCBFs
in high seismic zones
 Energy-dissipative bracing system is
designed to produce hinging at mid-length
of the brace and in the gusset plates at
each end, with the cast connector
remaining elastic
 Extensively tested, ICC-ES in California
 Cast Connections – Cast Connex

Other Options
 Tapered Connection
 Pinned Connection
 Diablo Connection
 Single-Sided Bolts

Lindapter Hollo-Bolts
Exclusive ICC-ES Seismic Approval
Lindapter's Hollo-Bolt is the only expansion bolt
ICC-ES approved for connecting structural steel
in Seismic Design Categories (SDC) A through
F, in compliance with the 2012 International
Building Code.
Single-Sided Bolts

Blind Bolt
New Technology - Shuriken

• New technology to make HSS column splices easier

18
 Shear Connections
 All shear connections used to connect WF beams to WF
columns can be used to connection WF beams to HSS
columns.
 Single & Double Angles
 Stiffened & Unstiffened Seats
 Single shear plates (shear tabs)
 Tee connections
 Only unique HSS shear connection is through-plate
Connections – Line/Concentrated Loads

Plate-to-HSS welded
 More flexible than plate
welded to W-shape
 Limit States
 HSS wall plastification
 Local plate yielding
 HSS Shear yielding
(punching)
 HSS sidewall strength
 Use thicker HSS wall
 Connection reinforcing
Moment Connections - Seismic

 Moment connections used in SMF and IMF need to be “pre-

qualified” or tested in accordance with AISC 341-10, Chapter K.
 AISC 358-10 Prequalified Connections for Special and
Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications lists
all those connections that have met the criteria of 341-10, Chp K.
 Two moment connection listed directly pertains to HSS
 ConXtech ConXL connection
 SidePlate Field Bolted connection
Moment Connections - Seismic

 SidePlate All-Bolted version debuted at 2020 virtual

NASCC
 No welding – shop or field
 More cost effective using HSS.

22
Moment Connections - Seismic

How do you use HSS in SFRS?

 Avoid using AISC 341-10 Seismic Provisions
• Seismic Performance Category A
• Seismic Performance Category B or C, with R < 3
• Use OMF

 Prequalify (Develop & Test) a moment connection

• Current research at Univ. of Michigan – HSS-to-HSS moment
connections
 Moment Connections — Types

Continuous Roof Beam

• Suitable for single-story structures
• Only top of beam is considered braced
• Additional stiffening or bracing required
 Moment Connections — Types

Continuous Beam at Column Splice

• HSS column is interrupted at continuous beam
• For lightly loaded columns, stiffener plates can be used to transfer axial forces
• Heavy loads may require a split HSS on either side of the beam web.
• Beam flange should be wider than HSS. Rectangular HSS may be required to
fit base plate on beam.
• Moment transfer to HSS column is dependent on strength of bolts, beam
flange thickness, and base and cap plate thickness.
 Moment Connections — Types

Through-Plate
Diaphragm
• Good for larger moment
transfer through joint
• More difficult and costly to
fabricate and erect
• Can be placed at column splice
• Column moment transfer is
limited by fillet weld of the HSS
to through plate. PJP or CJP
welds can be used to increase
connection strength.
• Good for two-way moment
frame system.
 Moment Connections — Types

Diaphragm Plate
• An alternative to the
through plate connection.
• Diaphragm plates may
be field welded or shop
welded.
• When used with beam
on one side, additionally
need to check the weld
transferring shear to the
HSS wall.
 Moment Connections — Types

Diaphragm & through plate connections

can be adapted to better facilitate erection.

Beam stubs can be shop attached to

column to allow for field bolting or welding.
 Moment Connections — Types

End Plate
• Utilizes end plate or angles
• Need to consider/coordinate
projection of plates beyond
HSS
• Flange width of beam
should be as large or larger
than the HSS width to
maximize efficiency
• Buckling strength of HSS
side wall needs to be
checked
 Moment Connections — Types

Directly Welded
• May develop full flexural
capacity of HSS
• Cannot develop full flexural
capacity of W shape
• To achieve max efficiency,
HSS wall should be thick
and beam flange width
should match HSS flat
dimension (B-3t)
 Truss Connections

Connections at the panel

points of a planar truss
Trusses are typically analyzed
with branch members “pinned”
Truss connections are
designed as
tension/compression
connections
Truss Connections - Nomenclature
 Truss Connections - Analysis
Three options for analysis of planar welded HSS trusses:
 Pin Jointed Analysis – All members pinned
 Pin Jointed Web Members, Continuous Chord Members
• Extremely stiff members can be used to model the nodal eccentricity, e

Rigid Frame Analysis – Everything fixed

Truss Connections - Joint Types

T or Y-Joint X-Joint or Cross

Gap K-Joint Overlap K-Joint

(includes N)
Truss Connections - Joint Types

 Classification of joints is based on method of force transfer in the

connection and not the physical appearance of the connection
 When branch members transmit part of their forces as one
classification and part as another, then the adequacy of each
branch is determined by linear interaction in proportion to how
each portion is transferred.

K Connection Cross (X) Connection

Truss Connections - Fabrication Costs

 Minimum weight does not equal minimum cost

 Keep the number of different sizes small
 Try to minimize number of connections
 Warren trusses

Understand effects of joint configuration and

connection design criteria before analyzing truss
and selecting member sizes!
 Truss Fabrication Costs - Effect of Joint Type

Lowest Joint
Lowest
RHS chord — gap joints Strength &
Cost
Stiffness
RHS chord — 100% overlap joints

CHS chord — gap joints

RHS chord — partial overlap joints

CHS chord — 100% overlap joints

Highest Joint
Highest
CHS chord — partial overlap joints Strength &
Cost
Stiffness

Matched sizes will have higher fabrication cost versus unmatched

 Welding

Generally for economics

specify a fillet weld for tubular
joints

Proper joint design should

allow you to avoid complete
joint penetration welds

For trusses subject to fatigue

design, weld sequence is
important. Overlap
connections have been
suggested for fatigue loading.
Truss Connections – Round Branch, Sq Chord

 Not covered by AISC 360-10, Chapter K

 However, Chp K Commentary states you can use
“other verified design guidance…”
 Research by Packer, J.A., Mashiri, F.R., Zhao, X.L. and
Willibald, S. (“Static and Fatigue Design of CHS-to-
RHS Welded Connections using a Branch Conversion
Method”, Journal of Constructional Steel Research,
Vol. 63, No.1, 2007, pp. 82-95.)
 For calculation purposes you “convert” the round
sections to square sections and then use the Chp K
equations.
 Branches of diameter D are replaced by members of
width B = (p/4)*D and the same wall thickness is used.
HSS Connections - Resources

AISC 360 — Chapter K

• 2005 & 2010

AISC Design Guide #24

CISC Design Guide 1997
CIDECT Design Guides
• Available for free on AISC website

Steel Tube Institute

• HSS CONNEX Online
• Connection Spreadsheets
• New HSS Design Manual
Questions?

THANK YOU!
www.atlastube.com