New Guidelines for Fatigue Design of HSS Connections

Abstract

The current specifications for fatigue design of hollow structural section (HSS) connections are both outdated, and, in view of recent research results fairly inaccurate. Analyses of a large number of connections have been carried out, incorporating results from other researchers. The result is this paper, which contains an outline for improved fatigue design guidelines for HSS structures that are welded directly together without the use of additional stiffeners. To clarify the use of these guidelines and show the difference between the proposed and existing design methods, three HSS connections are analyzed with existing design guidelines as well as with the proposed guidelines.