Connecting steel members

Connections are required to

to facilitate a
change in
direction

from 1D
elements
to 2D or 3D
structures

Over come
limitations in
connect to length
foundations
 Connections must primarily satisfy
requirements of structural behaviour
must have adequate
strength to transmit design actions
and also have
required degree of flexibility or rigidity

Rotational movement
allowed at a hinge

Longitudinal movement allowed Pinned

in a slotted hole base
 Connection design influences
costs of steel structures.
Number of connections and complexity affect
time for analysis, design and production of
drawings.
Fabrication entails cutting, drilling and
welding of main members, plates, cleats and
stiffeners. These activities are time
consuming and labour intensive.

Ease with which the site connections can be

made is a major consideration during erection.
Structure and overview of
EN 1993
Eurocode 3 Part 1 – 8

1. Introduction
2. Basis of design
3. Connections made with bolts rivets or pins
4. Welded Connections
5. Analysis Classification and modeling
6. Structural joints connecting H or I sections
7. Hollow section joints
 Bolts
in
Steel Construction
Bolts are subject to
shear,
tension
or a
combination of both
 When subject to
shearing action,
a bolt could fail by

shearing

or by

bearing
 p1 e1

e2 Bolt strength and spacing

p2 (extracted from Table 3.3)

Distance and
Minimum Maximum
spacing
End distance e1 1.2 d0 4t + 40 mm
(if exposed to weather or corrosion)
Edge distance e2 1.2 d0 4t + 40 mm
(if exposed to weather or corrosion)
Spacing p1 2.2d0 Smaller of 14t or 200mm
Spacing p2 2.4d0 Smaller of 14t or 200mm
 Types
of
bolts

Category B and C
Category A
bolts are preloaded to a
bolts transfer shear at the
high shank tension using
connection by bolt shear at
special methods and the
the interface and bearing
shear is transmitted by the
on the bolts and plates.
friction at the interface.
 bolts transfer
shear at the connection by

bolt shear at the interface

and
bearing on the bolts and plates.
Category A
Bearing Type

Fv,Ed < Fv,Rd

Fv,Ed < Fb,Rd

No preloading required
Bolt classes from 4,6 to 10,9 could be used
 Bolts in shear can fail in different ways
Bearing on plate and bolt
Shear failure of the bolt shank

Tension failure of the plate Insufficient end distance

 Shear resistance per
shear plane

 v fub As
Fv ,Rd 
 M2
Bolts fail in shear

Bearing resistance
per shear plane
k1 bfu dt
Fb,Rd 
 M2
Bolt bearing failure
Shear resistance per shear plane  v fub As
Fv ,Rd 
 M2

αv = 0.6 for 4.6, 5.6 and 8.8 bolts

αv = 0.6 for all bolts
αv = 0.5 for 4.8, 5.8, 6.8 and 10.9 bolts
As = gross area of bolt
As = tensile area of bolt
Bearing resistance per shear plane

k1 b fu dt
Fb,Rd 
 M2
In the direction of load transfer
For end bolts
 e1 fub 
 b is the smallest of  ; ; 1.0
 3d 0 fu  Indicates the weakest link,
For inner bolts
Bearing of bolt or plate
 p f 
 b is the smallest of  1  0.25 ; ub ; 1.0 and tearing out of the plate
 3d 0 fu 
In the direction perpendicular to load transfer
For edge bolts
 e2   p2  
k1 smaller value of  2.8  1.7  ; 1.4  1.7 ; 2.5 k1 accounts for
 d0   d0   material confinement
For inner bolts
  p  
k1 smaller value of  1.4 2  1.7 ; 2.5
  d0  
Block shear
combined shearing of the plate through the bolt
holes parallel to the applied force
and
tensile rupture in a plane perpendicular to the
bolt holes

Tensile rupture
in a plane perpendicular to the bolt
holes
 combined shearing of plate
through bolt holes parallel to
applied force

tensile rupture in plane Tensile rupture

perpendicular to bolt holes in plane perpendicular to
bolt holes
Block shear
Concentric loading f u Ant  1  f y Anv 
Veff,1,Rd    
γM 2  3  γM 0 

Ant is net area in tension

Anv is net area in shear

Eccentric loading

0.5 f u Ant  1  f y Anv 

Veff,1,Rd    
γM 2  3  γM 0 
 Bolts in Tension

Prying
Action

Bolts fail in tension

Tensile resistance of Ft ,Rd 

0.9fub As
bolted connections  M2

The prying force has to be considered in the design force

Fv,Ed Ft,Ed
 1
Fv,Rd 1.4Ft,Rd
 Welding is the process of joining
two metals together by heating with or
without filler material

Main types of welds

used in
steel structures
are
butt welds
and
fillet welds.
 Double V

Single V Single
bevel

Welded connections
Butt welds

The design strength of a butt weld

is taken as equal to that of the
parent metal provided that the
strength of the weld metal is as
strong as the parent metal.
Welded connections

Double
Fillet welds fillet weld

Fillet welds transmit forces

by shear through the throat Lap
thickness. splice
Single fillet weld
Weld Terminology
The effective throat thickness (clause 4.5.2) is the
height of the largest triangle (with equal or unequal
legs) that can be inscribed within the fusion and the
weld surface measured perpendicular to the outer
side of the triangle. a
a
The effective throat thickness must be at least 3 mm.

The effective length (clause 4.5.1) is

taken as the overall length less
twice the effective throat thickness.
A fillet weld of effective length less
Throat thickness than 30 mm or less than 6 times its
throat thickness whichever is larger
should not be designed to carry
load.

Leg length
 Effective length - leff
Welds – 2 methods

Effective Throat size - a

 normal stress perpendicular to throat

 // normal stress parallel to axis of weld

 shear stress (in plane of throat) perpendicular to axis of weld

 // shear stress (in plane of throat) parallel to axis of weld

  3   
2 0.5 fu 0.9 f
2 2
 and    u
1. Directional method   //
 w m 2  m2

 fu  1
2. Simplified method is only for loading // to welding f vw,d  
 3   w m 2
  fu  1
f vw,d  
 3   w m 2
  3   
2 0.5 fu
2

2
 
 w m 2
//

0.9 f u
 
 m2
 Design examples
on
Steel connections

Bolted Flange Splice

Bolted Fin Plate
Welded Angle
Design Example – Bolted spice connection

Determine the magnitude of tensile force that can be applied on a steel

plate of rectangular cross section 200 mm wide and 15 mm thick of
Grade S275, when used as a splice plate if 4 bolts of class 4.6, and of
20 mm diameter are arranged in a regular pattern as shown.

Failure can occur due to tensile failure of the steel plate or by failure of
the bolts in shear, bearing or block tearing

100 mm

60 mm 100mm
Considering the steel plate

Gross cross sectional area of plate A = 200 x 15 = 3000 mm2.

Nominal yield strength of S275 steel fy = 275 N/mm2
Partial factor for resistance of cross section γm0 = 1.0.

Hence design plastic resistance 3000 x 275

N pl ,Rd   825 kN
1.00

Net cross sectional area of plate A = (200 – 2 x 22) x 15 = 2340 mm2.

Nominal ultimate strength of S275 steel fu = 430 N/mm2
Partial factor for resistance of cross section γm2 = 1.25.
In tension to fracture
0.9 x 2340 x 430
Nud   724.5 kN
Hence design ultimate resistance 1.25

Thus the design tensile resistance for a regular bolt arrangement is 724.5 kN.
 Block Tearing
100 mm

f u Ant  1  f y Anv
Veff,1,Rd   
γM 2  3  γM 0 60 mm 100mm

Ant  (100  22) 15  1170 mm 2

Anv  2(100  60  1.5  22)  15  3810 mm 2

430  1170  1  275  3810

Veff ,1, Rd     1007.4kN
1.25  3 1.0
Considering the bolt resistance
Shear resistance

Nominal ultimate strength of 4.6 bolts fub = 400 N/mm2

Partial factor for resistance of bolts γm2 = 1.25
Area of bolt assuming threads in shear plane As = 245 mm2

design shear resistance per bolt per shear plane

 v f ub As 0.6  400  245

Fv , Rd   10 3  47 kN
M2 1.25
Bearing resistance

Nominal ultimate strength of S275 steel fu = 430 N/mm2

Partial factor for resistance of bolts γm2 = 1.25.
Diameter of bolt d = 20 mm
Thickness of plate t = 15 mm assuming it to be the thinner plate
Design bearing resistance per bolt k1 b fu dt
Fb,Rd 
 M2
In the direction of load transfer
For end bolts
 e f   60 400 
 b is the smallest of  ; ; 1.0 
 b is the smallest of  1 ; ub ; 1.0  3 x 22 430 
 3d 0 fu 

= 0.91, 0.93 or 1.
For inner bolts
 100 400 
 p f   b is the smallest of   0.25 ; ; 1 .0 
 b is the smallest of  1  0.25 ; ub ; 1.0  3 x 22 430 
 3d 0 fu 
1.265, 0.93 or 1.0

Hence assume αb  0.91

In the direction perpendicular to load transfer

 e2   p2  
For edge bolts k1 smaller value of  2.8  1.7  ; 1.4  1.7 ; 2.5
 d0   d0  
 50   100  
k1 smaller value of  2.8  1 .7  ;  1 .4  1.7 ; 2.5
 22   22  

= 4.66; 4.66; 2.5

for inner bolts  p2  
k1 smaller value of  1.4  1.7 ; 2.5
 d0  
  100  
k1 smaller value of   1 . 4  1 . 7 ; 2 . 5 
  22  
= 4.66; 2.5
Hence assume k1  2.5

k1 b f u dt 2.5  0.91 430  20 15

Fb , Rd   10 3  234.8kN
M2 1.25
 Hence shear resistance is more critical
Thus for 4 bolts, Bolt shear resistance is 4 x 47 = 188 kN

Maximum tensile force that can be safely withstood by this

splice connection is 188 kN.

100 mm

60 mm 100mm

Failure occurs due to failure of the bolts in shear

Design Example – Welded connection
Determine the weld lengths required if fillet welds of throat
thickness 4 mm are used in the following connection and show
how they can be provided.

A steel plate of 40 mm width and 10 mm thickness is connected

to a steel gusset plate. Both steel plates are of steel grade
S235. A fillet weld of 4 mm effective throat thickness is used to
connect the steel plate to the gusset plate. Determine the total
weld length required to withstand a design force of 83 kN.

Using the simplified method; for S235 steel;  w  0. 8 and fu= 360 N/mm2

fu / 3 360 / 3
f vw, d    207.85 N / mm 2
 w M 2 0.8  1.25

The design weld resistance per unit length f vw,d a  207.85 x 4 N / mm

83 x1000
 99.88  100 mm
Effective weld length = 831
Check whether greater than minimum effective weld length
100 mm > 30 mm and 100 mm > 6 x 4 mm = 24 mm
 The weld length is distributed equally on the two longitudinal sides so that the resultant of
the weld group is coincident with the centroidal line.

Total weld length = Effective weld length + 2 x throat thickness

= (100/2) + (2 x 4 ) = 58 mm on either side

Design Example – Welded angle connection
Determine the total weld lengths required for the connection
described and how they are distributed on the top and bottom edges
of the member.

A fillet weld of 4 mm effective throat thickness is used to connect a

steel angle of 90 x 90 x 8 in S275 to a gusset plate of 10 mm
thickness and also of S275 steel. The tensile force in the steel angle
is 200 kN.

Using the simplified method; for S275 steel; w  0.85 and fu= 410 N/mm2

fu / 3 410 / 3
f vw, d    222.8 N / mm 2
 w M 2 0.85  1.25

The design weld resistance per unit length fvw ,d a  222.8 x 4  891 N / mm

200 x1000
Effective weld length =  225 mm
891
Check whether greater than minimum effective weld length
225 mm > 30 mm and 225 mm > 6 x 4 mm = 24 mm
 l1

l2

The weld length must be distributed on the two longitudinal sides so that the
resultant of the weld group is coincident with the centroidal line of the angle.

In this case the centroidal line is 25 mm from the bottom edge

Taking moments about the bottom edge
l1 x 90 = 225 x 25;
Hence l1 = 62.5 mm ; and l2 = 225-62.5 = 162.5 mm

Total weld length = Effective weld length + 2 x throat thickness

Total weld length

on top edge = 62.5 + 2x4 = 70.5 = 71 mm

and
on bottom edge = 162.5 + 2x4 = 170.5 = 171 mm
 Design Example – Welded fin plate connection

A fillet weld of 200 mm effective length

is used to weld a steel fin plate to a
vertical steel column. The plate is
welded on both sides. The fillet weld is
of throat thickness 4 mm. The weld is
required to withstand a design vertical
reaction of 100 kN at the line of bolts
which is a horizontal distance of 60 mm
away from the weld. Check whether the
weld is adequate.
The weld joining the fin plate to the column is subject to

a shear force of magnitude 100 kN parallel to its longitudinal axis

and
a transverse force that varies from a maximum tension at the top to a maximum
compression at the bottom due to the eccentricity of the shear force.
Maximum tensile or compressive stress is
given by
M 100 1000  60
  112.5 N / mm 2

z  200 
2
2  4   
 6 

shear stress in the longitudinal direction is

given by
F 100 1000
  62.5 N / mm 2
A 2  4  200
 Using the directional method
 is the shear stress (in the plane of the throat) perpendicular to the axis of the
weld = 112.5 sin 45 = 79.5 N/mm2
┴

┴ is the normal stress perpendicular to the throat = 112.5 cos 45 = 79.5 N/mm2

 is the shear stress (in the plane of the throat) parallel to the axis of the weld
ÚÚ = 62.5 N/mm2
The design resistance of the fillet weld is considered sufficient if both of the following
conditions are met:

fu
   3(    // )
2 2 2 0.5

 w m 2

410
79.52  3(79.52  62.52 ) 0.5  192.3   385.9
0.85 1.25

0.9 f u
 
 m2
0.9  410
79.5   295.2
1.25

Hence the proposed weld is capable of carrying the design forces on it.