Design Guidelines for Longitudinal Plate to HSS Connections

Abstract

Although longitudinal plates have been used widely to connect braces and other attachments to hollow structural sections (HSS), there is no established design method available for this type of connection. Research work has been undertaken both experimentally and analytically to produce a rational design procedure. Specimens with different angles between branch plates and HSS have been tested to rupture under different levels of compression loads on the HSS members. A parametric study, covering 120 different cases, has been carried out using finite element models, and the influences of plate-to-HSS angle, HSS axial force, HSS wall slenderness, plate thickness, plate width, and plate loading case have been investigated. Yield line theory was also used for the analysis of the strength of such connections. From this research work, design guidelines have been created based on an ultimate deformation limit and a serviceability deformation limit for the HSS connecting face, and non-uniformly distributed stress in the plate.