Technical

Joint stiffness calculation

The UK National Annex to BS EN 1993-1-8 discourages the use of numerical methods to
calculate joint stiffness, relying on previous satisfactory practice. Despite this, interest in joint
stiffness is increasing. Richard Henderson of the SCI illustrates the joint stiffness calculation
process set out in the standard and discusses some of the issues.

Introduction Numerical example

Traditionally, the UK has relied on successful past practice to Example C2 from the Green Book for moment connections, SCI
classify orthodox connections – usually either nominally pinned publication P398, has been used as a convenient bolted beam to
or nominally rigid. The UK National Annex to BS EN 1993-1-8 column connection to illustrate the method of calculating joint
endorses that approach and discourages the use of the stiffness. According to the UK National Annex to BS EN 1993-1-8,
numerical methods in the standard. The NA also indicates that this joint is nominally rigid, simply because it has been designed
frame design methods which utilise semi-continuous connection in accordance with the Green Book.
behaviour (the “wind-moment” method, for example) should not The expression for the joint stiffness Sj is given in clause
use a numerically calculated value, but the connection behaviour 6.3.1(4) as:
should be supported by test evidence or previous satisfactory Ez2
Sj =
performance. 1
μΣi
Designers are paying increasing attention to connection ki
stiffness, possibly because software is readily available where: z is the lever arm defined in para 6.2.7 which depends on
which makes the calculation possible even for unorthodox the type of joint and the arrangement of the bolts;
arrangements. For a limited range of connections, BS EN 1993-1-8 µ is the stiffness ratio defined in para 6.3.1(6);
presents a process to calculate the connection stiffness, utilising ki is the stiffness coefficient for basic joint component i.
the same basic connection components which are used to The stiffness ratio, the ratio of the initial joint stiffness to the
calculate the moment resistance of the joint. stiffness under load, is unity if the applied joint moment Mj,Ed is
For designers not using software, this article demonstrates less than 2/3 of the joint resistance Mj,Rd. For higher moments, the
the numerical approach given in the standard. The example value of µ is given by:
uses an existing connection design from P3981, where the basic µ = (1.5 Mj,Ed ⁄ Mj,Rd )ψ
connection components are already established, shortening the The exponent ψ depends on the type of connection and is
process. given in Table 6.8.
Example C2 in P398 is a bolted beam to column joint. The
arrangement and member sizes are shown in Figure 1. The
moment resistance of the joint is given as 416 kNm.
The relevant stiffness coefficients are identified in Table 6.10 of
BS EN 1993-1-8 and for a single sided connection with two or
more bolt rows in tension are listed as k1, k2 and keq. Para 6.3.3.1(4)
indicates that the equivalent stiffness keq is based on k3, k4, k5 and
k10. The joint components these stiffnesses refer to are given in
Table 6.11 in the code and are listed in Table 1.

Stiffness Component Expression

coefficient
k1 Column web panel in 0.38AVC ⁄ βz; (zeq gives a more
shear accurate value, see Fig 6.15)
k2 Column web panel in 0.7beff,c,wctwc ⁄dc ; ∞ if stiffened
compression
k3 Column web panel in 0.7beff,t,wctwc ⁄dc ; ∞ if stiffened
tension
k4 Column flange bending 0.9lefftfc3 ⁄ m3
k5 End-plate in bending 0.9lefftp3 ⁄ m3
k10 Bolts in tension 1.6As ⁄ Lb

Figure 1: Joint arrangement Table 1: Relevant stiffness coefficients 26

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 Technical

24 The quantities are defined in Table 2, taken from the example each bolt row is the total length divided by the number of bolt
in P398. rows in the group, leading to the stiffnesses corresponding to
each bolt row. The values are given in Table 3
Item Description Value
AVC shear area of column 3810 mm2 Stiffness minimum beff , leff ki,1 ki,2 ki,3
beff , leff (mm) (mm)
β transformation parameter (Table 5.4) 1.0
k3,r r1 + r2 + r3 422/3 6.3 6.3 6.3
zeq lever arm 498 mm
k4,r r1 + r2 + r3 422/3 6.3 6.3 6.3
beff , leff effective width or length various
k5,1 r1 125 30.6 - -
t component thickness 12.8, 20.5, 25 mm
k5,r r2 + r3 379/2 - 46.5 46.5
dc clear depth of web 200.3 mm
k10 - - 8.01 8.01 8.01
m distance of bolt centre to root radius various
or weld toe keff,r - - 2.10 2.15 2.15

As Tensile area of bolt 353 mm2 Table 3: Stiffness values

Lb Bolt length 70.5 mm
Table 2: Values of parameters As an example calculation for the first bolt row,
1
The first challenge in calculating the stiffness components keff,1 = = 2.10
1 1 1 1
+ + +
appears to be the determination of the equivalent lever arm for 6.3 6.3 30.6 8.01
the column web stiffness coefficient k1. However, the parameter The heights of the bolt rows above the centre of compression
depends on the effective stiffness for each bolt row r, and the are shown in Figure 1 and finally the value of zeq can be
height of the bolt row relative to the centre of compression of the determined. The value is:
beam flange so the calculation of the effective stiffnesses is in 1.439 × 106
zeq = = 498
fact the real task. The effective stiffness for each bolt row must be 2994
calculated from the stiffness components ki for that bolt row, The value for the equivalent stiffness is then:
given by: 2994
keq = = 6.01
1 498
keff,j =
1 The remaining stiffnesses can also be calculated and the values
Σi
ki,r are k1 = 2.91 and k2 = ∞ because of the presence of the
The equivalent lever arm is given by: compression stiffener.
Σrkeff,rhr2 The joint stiffness can now be calculated as follows:
zeq =
Σrkeff,rhr 210 × (533.1 – 15.6)2 102
Sj = = μ MNm/radian
To complete the list of expressions for stiffness, the equivalent
stiffness is given by: (
μ 1 +0+ 1
2.91 6.01 )
Σk h The effect of the stiffness ratio μ is shown in Figure 2. For the
keq = r eff,r r
zeq bolted joint being considered, the value of ψ from Table 6.8 is 2.7.
Using the data from Examples C1 and C2 in P398, the relevant If the design bending moment is greater than two thirds of the
effective widths of plate or lengths of T-stub can be determined. bending resistance of the joint, the stiffness is reduced as
The value corresponds to the effective width or length which indicated, to a value of about one third of the maximum stiffness
gives the lowest resistance for that component in the when the applied moment approaches the joint resistance. It
determination of the resistance of the joint. Where the lowest should be noted that UK practice is often to optimise the design,
resistance is for several bolt rows acting as a group, the value for so a high utilisation might be expected.

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 Technical

Stiffness ratio μ arbitrary. From classical beam theory, a beam with encastré ends
1.2 will have a support moment of 2/3 of the free bending moment
ie 277 kNm and a mid-span moment of 139 kNm. The mid-span
1
deflection will be 1/5 of the simply supported deflection,
0.8 calculated to be 30.5 mm due to bending alone (no shear
Value of 1/μ

0.6 deflection). In a braced frame the joint detailed above can be

classified as rigid when carrying a design bending moment of
0.4
277 kNm or less.
0.2 The FE analysis results give a support moment of 130 kNm and
0 a mid-span moment of 286 kNm, with a maximum deflection
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 (including shear deflection) of 20.9 mm. The support moment is
MEd / MRd
about 47% of the encastré value and the deflection 3.4 times the
Figure 2: Stiffness ratio, μ encastré value. The introduction into an analysis model of joint
stiffnesses calculated using BS EN 1993-1-8, although classified as
Joint stiffness “rigid” clearly has a profound effect on the behaviour of the
Joint classification boundaries on the basis of stiffness are given structure and a decision to adopt a structural scheme that relied
in clause 5.2.2.5 and Figure 5.4 of BS EN 1993-1-8. The length of on frame stiffness and bolted beam to column joints would need
the beam and some understanding of the overall frame stiffness to be considered carefully. The “wind-moment” method was
is needed, so some assumptions must be made. With reference to shown to be adequate by frame analysis incorporating
Figure 5.4, assuming a 9 m long beam and kb = 8 (for frames with connection stiffness demonstrated by test, thus meeting the
bracing), the requirement for the rigid classification is then requirements of the UK National Annex.
Sj,ini ≥ kb EIb /Lb . Traditional approaches to unbraced frame deflection
Substituting values, kb EIb /Lb = 8 × 210000 × 55200 × 104 ⁄ 9000 calculations have assumed that joints are rigid and deformation
= 1.03 ×1011 or 103 MNm/radian which is greater than the of the members is the source of overall building deflections,
stiffness calculated in section 2.0, unless µ = 1.0. This assessment unless joints between members are of significant size relative to
would therefore conclude that the joint can only be assumed to the member lengths. Such assumptions may need to be
be rigid if the design moment is 2/3 of the bending resistance of reconsidered for certain structures.
the joint, or smaller. For unbraced “other frames” where the
beams are at least 10 times as stiff as the columns, kb = 25. Conclusions
So for the rigid classification, the initial stiffness must be at least If joint stiffness is to be considered at all:
322 MNm /radian so the joint would be classified as semi-rigid. 1) The manual calculation of stiffness is very laborious and it
would be unrealistic to try to design a real structure in this
Effects of joint flexibility way. Design software to calculate the joint stiffness is
BS EN 1993-1-1 clause 5.1.2(1) allows the analysis assumption of essential for projects of any significant size.
perfectly pinned or perfectly rigid, as long as the real joint 2) The sequence of design and sizing is likely to be iterative
behaviour does not have a ‘significant’ effect. As an illustration of because the joint arrangements could affect both the
the effects of the joint stiffness, the same beam was modelled serviceability and strength limit states.
using finite elements with rotational springs at the supports with 3) Flexibility of bolted end-plate joints in beam to column
stiffness equal to the maximum value calculated. The model is connections in unbraced frame structures could have
unrepresentative because no columns are included in the model. significant effects on the stability of the structure.
A 9 m span beam is assumed with a uniform load of 41.1 kN/m,
giving a free bending moment of 416 kNm. The choice of load is 1.
Joints in steel construction: Moment-resisting joints to Eurocode 3

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