Behavior and Design of Cold-Formed Steel Bolted Connections Subjected to Combined Actions
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 4
Abstract
Cold-formed steel (CFS) moment connections are often formed by bolting the webs of the connecting elements to a stiffened gusset plate, and local buckling of the web adjacent to the connection typically governs their capacity. This paper aims to study this failure mode in case the connection is subject to combined axial compression, shear, and bending moment. In a first step, the case of pure compressive loading was investigated. Validated geometric and material non-linear analysis with imperfections (GMNIA) finite-lement (FE) models were used to investigate the effects of different design variables, including the cross-sectional geometry and thickness, the bolt group configuration, and the bolt group length. The results were then used to develop design equations for the compressive capacity of CFS bolted connections. In a next step, the FE models were used to assess the capacity of CFS bolted connections subject to combined bending and shear, and combined axial compression, bending, and shear. Suitable interaction equations were proposed and reliability analyses were performed within the framework of both the Eurocode and the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) standards. It was concluded that a linear equation accurately captures the interaction between bending moment and axial force, while the effects of a shear force smaller than half of the shear capacity on the bending moment capacity can be neglected.
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Data Availability Statement
Data, models, and software code generated as part of this study are available from the corresponding author by request. Data includes details of material properties, geometric imperfections, connector behavior, and deformations.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Grant No. EP/L019116/1. The first author was also supported by EPSRC Doctoral Scholarship Grant No. 1625179.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 4 • April 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 9, 2020
Accepted: Nov 23, 2020
Published online: Jan 21, 2021
Published in print: Apr 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jun 21, 2021
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