Faculty of Science

48366 Steel and Timber Design

Design of Steel Connections

Lecturer: Dr. Harry Far

 Steelwork Connections
Various classifications of connection types

I. On the basis of type of fastener:

 Bolted Connections
 Welded Connections

II. On the basis of geometry:

 Butt Connections
 Lapped Connections
 Butt Connections
Where members meet each other end on.

I. Bolted Butt Connections

Bolts are in tension
A bolt subject to a design tension
force (N*tf) shall satisfy

N*tf ≤ Φ Ntf (AS4100 Cl 9.3.2.2)

Φ= capacity factor (AS4100,Table 3.4)

Ntf = nominal tensile capacity of bolts

 Bolted Butt Connections
Nominal Tensile Capacity of Bolts
Nominal Tensile Capacity Ntf = Asfuf
As = tensile stress area of bolt as specified in AS1275 (Gorenc, Tinyou &
Syam, Tables 8.4(a) & (b), p. 201)
fuf = tensile strength of bolt material (AS4100,Table 9.3.1)
 Welded Butt Connections
II. Welded Butt Connections

 Complete penetration butt welds:

Design capacity = Capacity of weakest member

 Incomplete penetration butt welds – designed as for fillet

welds

 Tend to be more expensive than fillet welds

Two classifications of welds:
Type GP Welds (General Purpose)

- For use in joints which are statically loaded and non-critical.

- Lower inspection levels, more welding defects permitted.
- A relatively low ‘’ value of 0.6.

Type SP Welds (Structural Purpose)

- For all important applications and dynamic loading.

- Higher inspection levels, tighter constraints on defects.
- Significantly more expensive.
-  = 0.7 – 0.9.
 Lapped Connections
Where members are placed beside each other
Web side plate connections Connections at the ends
between beams and columns of tension members
 Bolted Lapped Connections
Design of Bolted Lapped Connections
Possible failure modes:
 Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Design of Bolted Lapped Connections
I. Check bolts in shear (Cl. 9.3.2.1)
A bolt subject to a design shear force (V*f) shall satisfy
V*f ≤ Φ Vf (AS4100 Cl 9.3.2.1)
Φ= capacity factor (AS4100,Table 3.4)
Vf = nominal shear capacity of bolts
 Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Nominal Shear Capacity of Bolts
Nominal Shear Capacity Vf = 0.62 fuf Kr (nnAc+nxA0)
Kr = reduction factor to account for the length of the bolted lap connection.
fuf = tensile strength of bolt material (AS4100,Table 9.3.1)
nn and Ac relate to the number of shear planes which intersect a threaded bolt
nx and A0 relate to the number of shear planes which intersect an unthreaded
bolt shank
Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)
kr : reflects reduction in strength of long bolted lap
connections
 Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Design of Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)
II. Check for failure of the steel in the plate elements
(plies) being joined, where the bolts bear against the
plates (Cl. 9.3.2.4):
A ply subject to a design bearing force (V*b) due to a
bolt in shear shall satisfy

V*b ≤ Φ Vb (AS4100 Cl 9.3.2.4)

Φ= capacity factor (AS4100,Table 3.4)

Vb = nominal bearing capacity of a ply
 Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Design of Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)

There are 2 possibilities:

a) Bearing failure (crushing) of the plates (Cl 9.3.2.1 (1)):

Vb = 3.2 df tp fup
df = diameter of the bolt
tp = thickness of ply
fup = tensile strength of plate material
 Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Design of Bolted Lapped Connections (Cont.)
b) If bolt is pushing towards an edge or adjacent hole, possible
plate tear-out failure (Cl 9.3.2.4 (2)):

Vb = ae tp fup
ae = distance from edge of hole to edge of ply + bolt dia/2.
tp = thickness of ply
fup = tensile strength of plate material

** Critical when ae < 3.2 x bolt dia.

 Connection Geometry
Ref: AS4100 Cl. 9.6
i) Minimum pitch (distance between centres of bolts) = 2.5 x df
ii) Minimum edge distances (from centre of hole to edge of plate):

iii) Maximum edge distance (from centre of hole to edge of plate)

= lesser of 12tp and 150mm
iv) Maximum pitch (= distance between centres of bolts)
= lesser of 15tp and 200mm
v) Hole diameter generally 2mm larger than bolt diameter
 Worked Example
The figure below shows a simple lap joint between two pieces of 75 x 8 mild steel
plate (fy= 260 MPa, fu = 410 MPa). A single M24 bolt, bolting category 8.8/S, is
used to connect the two pieces. Assume the bolt is threaded for the entire length
of its shank. Determine the design tensile strength (φ included) of the members
and joint.
 Worked Example
Member tensile strength (AS4100, Cl 7.2)

 On gross section: ΦNt = Φ Ag fy = 0.9×(75×8)×(260/1000)= 140 kN

 On net section : ΦNt = Φ 0.85 kt An fu = 0.9×0.85×1.0×392×(410/1000)=

123 kN
 No eccentricity => Kt = 1

 Fu = 410 MPa

 An = 8×(75-26)=392 mm

Member tensile strength = 123 kN

 Worked Example
2- Bolt in shear (AS4100, Cl 9.3.2.2)
ΦVf = Φ 0.62 fuf Kr (nnAc+nxA0) = 0.8× 0.62 ×(830/1000) ×1×1×324= 133 kN
 Φ = 0.8
 Fuf = 830 MPa (for 8.8/s)
 Kr = 1 (Only one bolt exists)
 Nn= 1 shear plane
 Ac= 324 mm2
3- Ply in bearing (AS4100, Cl 9.3.2.4) – (Edge distance (50 mm) < 3.2 bolt dia)
ΦVb = Φ ae tp fup = 0.9×49 ×8× (410/1000) = 145 kN
 Φ = 0.9
 ae = 50-13+12=49 mm
 tp = 8 mm
 fup= 410 MPa
Member design strength = 123 kN
 Welded Lapped Connections
Design of Welded Lapped Connections
 We will be concentrating on fillet welds

Longitudinal Weld Transverse Weld

 Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
i. Longitudinal fillet weld
 Simple stress distribution
 Shear parallel to the weld
 Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
ii. Transvers fillet weld
 More complex stress distribution
 Stress is a combination of shear and tension
 Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)

A simple and conservative approach is to not distinguish

between shear and tension stress and to base weld
strength on the weaker shear strength.

 Transverse and longitudinal fillet welds treated exactly the

same.
Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)

Throat thickness tt = 0.707 x leg length

 Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
For both longitudinal and transverse welds, we use:

Strength of weld of length ‘l’

= failure stress x throat area

= failure shear stress x throat thickness tt x weld length l

Failure stress in shear = 0.6fuw

fuw = tensile strength of weld metal
(AS4100 Cl. 9.7.3.10)
Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Nominal Tensile Strength of Weld Metal (Old Table)
Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Nominal Tensile Strength of Weld Metal (New Table)
 Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Strength limit state for fillet weld
A fillet weld subject to a design force per unit length of weld
(v*w) shall satisfy
v*w ≤ Φ vw (AS4100 Cl 9.7.3.10)
Φ= capacity factor (AS4100,Table 3.4)
vw = nominal capacity of fillet weld per unit length
Nominal capacity of fillet weld per unit length
vw = 0.6 fuw tt kr

kr is introduced to allow for non-uniform stress distribution

in very long welds; i.e. for welds where l > 1.7m - rare
Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Minimum Size of a Fillet Weld (Cl. 9.7.3.2)
Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Maximum Size of a Fillet Weld (Cl. 9.7.3.3)
Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Tension member

Longitudinal fillet
weld, with shear
parallel to weld
Welded Lapped Connections (Cont.)
Not a simple longitudinal
weld as the eccentric
vertical force from the
bolts creates a moment
as well as longitudinal
shear.
Beam-Column Connections
Types of connections between beams and columns
Beam-Column Connections (Cont.)
Recommended standardised connection geometry
Beam-Column Connections (Cont.)

Connection design aids

Questions?