Bolted CHS Flange-Plate Connections under Bending
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 6
Abstract
Most research on circular hollow section (CHS) flange-plate connections deals with axial tension loading, yet bending action is a common load case. Prior researchers have studied both ring and blank-flange-plate connections, using a four-point-bending setup, generating a database of 10 experimental tests and five numerical models on bolted blank-flange-plate connections under pure bending. This limited data is extended herein by two large-scale laboratory tests with blank-flange-plate connections having a large span-to-tube diameter ratio, and 120 numerical models. Flange-plate plastification and bolt fracture are the valid failure modes for this splice, so all data was meticulously assessed to exclude experimental tests or numerical models not governed by connection failure. Existing design models for calculating the connection capacity under pure bending are evaluated and revised. Moreover, based on rectangular flange-plate connections, a novel method is proposed to design its circular counterpart under pure bending. For all methods, the difference in using the ultimate stress for flange-plate moment capacity—instead of the conventional yield stress—is also analyzed. Lastly, a reliability analysis is conducted to support the proposed design method.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Brazilian federal government agency Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) (Grant No. 88881.128191/2016-01) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for their financial support; Walters, Inc., for generously providing material and fabrication services; and Atlas Tube for donating hollow structural sections.
References
AISC. 2022. Specification for structural steel buildings. Chicago: AISC.
ASTM. 2019a. Standard specification for high strength structural bolts and assemblies, steel and alloy steel, heat treated, inch dimensions 120 ksi and 150 ksi minimum tensile strength, and metric dimensions 830 MPa and 1040 MPa minimum tensile strength. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2019b. Standard specification for welded and seamless steel pipe piles. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Bickford, J. H. 2008. Introduction to the design and behavior of bolted joints: Non-gasketed joints. 4th ed. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor and Francis Group.
Boresi, A. P., and R. J. Schmidt. 2003. Advanced mechanics of materials. 6th ed. New York: Wiley.
Calladine, C. R. 1969. Engineering plasticity. 1st ed. New York: Pergamon Press.
CEN (European Committee for Standarization). 2013. Design of steel structures—Part 1-6: Resistance and stability of shell. Brussels, Belgium: CEN.
CEN (European Committee for Standarization). 2021. Design of steel structures—Part 1-8: Design of joints. Brussels, Belgium: CEN.
Couchaux, M., M. Hjiaj, I. Ryan, and A. Bureau. 2018. “Tensile resistances of bolted circular flange connections.” Eng. Struct. 171 (Sep): 817–841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.04.004.
Couchaux, M., M. Hjiaj, I. Ryan, and A. Bureau. 2019. “Bolted circular flange connections under static bending moment and axial force.” J. Constr. Steel Res. 157 (Jun): 314–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2018.12.024.
CSA (Canadian Standard Association). 2019. Design of steel structures. Toronto: CSA.
Deng, H., X. Song, Z. Chen, P. Fu, and J. Dong. 2018. “Experiment and design methodology of a double-layered flange connection in axial loads.” Eng. Struct. 175 (15): 436–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.08.040.
Fidalgo, A., and J. A. Packer. 2022. “Evaluation of bolted CHS flange-plate connections under axial tension.” J. Constr. Steel Res. 196 (Jun): 107399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2022.107399.
Fischer, J. W., T. V. Galambos, G. L. Kulak, and M. K. Ravindra. 1978. “Load and resistance factor design criteria for connectors.” ASCE J. Struct. Div. 104 (9): 1427–1441. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSDEAG.0004986.
Franchuk, C. R., R. G. Driver, and G. Y. Grondin. 2002. “Block shear failure of coped steel beams.” In Proc., Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Annual Conf. Edmonton, AB, Canada: Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.
Ibrahim, A. M., T. H. Radwan, S. A. Ibrahim, and A. K. Dessouki. 2020. “Experimental investigation of bolted hollow section splices using unstiffened circular end plate.” J. Constr. Steel Res. 174 (Feb): 106273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2020.106273.
Igarashi, S., K. Wakiyama, K. Inoue, T. Matsumoto, and Y. Murase. 1985. “Limit design of high strength bolted tube flange joint: Part 1. Joint without rib-plates and ring-stiffener.” J. Struct. Constr. Eng. 354 (Jun): 52–66. https://doi.org/10.3130/aijsx.354.0_52.
Kennedy, D. J. L., and M. Gad Aly. 1980. “Limit states design of steel structures—Performance factors.” Can. J. Civ. Eng. 7 (1): 45–77. https://doi.org/10.1139/l80-005.
Korol, R. M., and F. A. Mirza. 1982. “Finite element analysis of RHS T-joints.” J. Struct. Div. 108 (9): 2081–2098. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSDEAG.0006043.
Kosteski, N., J. A. Packer, and R. S. Puthli. 2003. “A finite element method based yield load determination procedure for hollow structural section connections.” J. Constr. Steel Res. 59 (4): 453–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0143-974X(02)00066-4.
Kulak, G. L., J. W. Fischer, and J. H. A. Struik. 1987. Guide to design criteria for bolted and riveted joints. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley.
Kurobane, Y., J. A. Packer, J. Wardenier, and N. Yeomans. 2004. Design guide for structural hollow section column connections: CIDECT design guide no. 9. Köln, Germany: TÜV-Verlag GmbH.
Ling, Y. 1996. “Uniaxial true stress-strain after necking.” AMP J. Tech. 5 (1): 37–48.
Martinez-Saucedo, G., J. A. Packer, and S. Willibald. 2006. “Parametric finite element study of slotted end connections to circular hollow sections.” Eng. Struct. 28 (14): 1956–1971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2006.03.023.
Moore, A. M., G. A. Rassati, and J. A. Swanson. 2008. Evaluation of the current resistance factors for high-strength bolts. Chicago: Research Council on Structural Connections.
Packer, J. A., and J. E. Henderson. 1997. Hollow structural section connection and trusses—A design guide. 2nd ed. Markham, ON, Canada: Canadian Institute of Steel Construction.
Packer, J. A., F. R. Mashiri, X. L. Zhao, and S. Willibald. 2007. “Static and fatigue design of CHS-to-RHS welded connections using a branch conversion method.” J. Constr. Steel Res. 63 (1): 82–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2006.02.011.
Packer, J. A., and L. J. Morris. 1977. “A limit state design method for the tension region of bolted beam-column connections.” Struct. Eng. 10 (55): 446–458.
Packer, J. A., J. Wardenier, X.-L. Zhao, G. J. van der Vegte, and Y. Kurobane. 2009. Design guide for rectangular hollow section (RHS) joints under predominantly static loading: CIDECT design guide no. 3. 2nd ed. Geneva: CIDECT.
Power-Dyne. 1997. Quick reference guide and user’s guide. Middletown, CT: BIDWELL Industrial Group.
Ravindra, M. K., and T. V. Galambos. 1978. “Load and resistance factor design for steel.” J. Struct. Div. 104 (9): 1337–1353. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSDEAG.0004981.
Suwan, S., L. Manuel, and K. H. Frank. 2003. Statistical analysis of structural plate mechanical properties. Austin, TX: Univ. of Texas.
Tousignant, K., and J. A. Packer. 2017. “Numerical investigation of fillet welds in HSS-to-rigid end-plate connections.” J. Struct. Eng. 143 (12): 04017165. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0001889.
Tousignant, K., and J. A. Packer. 2018. “Fillet weld effective lengths in CHS X-connections. II: Finite element modelling, parametric study and design.” J. Constr. Steel Res. 141 (Feb): 77–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2017.11.002.
Voth, A. P., and J. A. Packer. 2012a. “Branch plate-to-circular hollow structural section connections. I: Experimental investigation and finite-element modeling.” J. Struct. Eng. 138 (8): 995–1006. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000505.
Voth, A. P., and J. A. Packer. 2012b. “Branch plate-to-circular hollow structural section connections. II: X-type parametric numerical study and design.” J. Struct. Eng. 138 (8): 1007–1018. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000545.
Wang, Y. Q., L. Zong, and Y. J. Shi. 2013. “Bending behavior and design model of bolted flange-plate connection.” J. Constr. Steel Res. 84 (May): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2013.01.012.
Wardenier, J., J. A. Packer, R. Puthli, and F. Bijlaard. 2016. “Re-evaluation of the shear criterion for RHS overlap joints.” Steel Constr. 9 (4): 339–348. https://doi.org/10.1002/stco.201610039.
Wheeler, A. T., M. J. Clarke, G. J. Hancock, and T. M. Murray. 1998. “Design model for bolted moment end plate connections joining rectangular hollow sections.” J. Struct. Eng. 124 (2): 164–173. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1998)124:2(164).
Yang, F., M. Veljkovic, and Y. Liu. 2021. “Fracture simulation of partially threaded bolts under tensile loading.” Eng. Struct. 226 (1): 111373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111373.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 6 • June 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 10, 2022
Accepted: Jan 24, 2023
Published online: Apr 10, 2023
Published in print: Jun 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Sep 10, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Axial loads
- Bending (structural)
- Bolted connections
- Connections (structural)
- Continuum mechanics
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Failure modes
- Flanges
- Forensic engineering
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- Models (by type)
- Numerical models
- Solid mechanics
- Static loads
- Statics (mechanics)
- Strength of materials
- Structural dynamics
- Structural engineering
- Structural members
- Structural systems
- Tensile strength
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.