Block Shear Capacity of Bolted Connections in Cold-Reduced Steel Sheets
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper examines the mechanisms for block shear failures of bolted connections in steel plates postulated in the design equations specified in the North American, European, and Australian steel structures codes. It explains that there is only one feasible mechanism for the limit state of conventional block shear failure, that which involves tensile rupture and shear yielding, regardless of the steel material ductility. It describes the fundamental shortcomings of various code equations for determining the block shear capacity of a bolted connection. Based on the tensile rupture and shear yielding mechanism, an in-plane shear lag factor, and the active shear resistance planes identified in the present work, this paper proposes a rational equation that is demonstrated to provide more accurate results than all the code equations in predicting the block shear capacities of bolted connections in G450 steel sheets subjected to concentric loading. The resistance factor of 0.8 for the proposed equation is computed with respect to the LRFD approach given in the North American specification for the design of cold-formed steel structures.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank John Kralic, manager, Lysaght Research & Technology, Bluescope Steel Limited, for supplying the G450 sheet steel materials used in the present work. The authors thank Gregory Hancock, Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney, for his expert input and for providing crucial references concerning the state of the art of bolted connection design in cold-formed sheet steel. The authors also thank Chris Cook, Dean of Engineering, and Muhammad Hadi, head of the Advanced Structural Engineering and Construction Materials Group, both of the University of Wollongong, for supporting the laboratory tests that were conducted in the High Bay Lab of the Faculty of Engineering. The test specimens were fabricated by Ritchie McLean.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 4 • April 2012
Pages: 459 - 467
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 12, 2011
Accepted: Aug 2, 2011
Published online: Aug 5, 2011
Published in print: Apr 1, 2012
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