Design of Bolted Single Shear Lap Connection with Different Thicknesses of Splice Plates

Abstract

A method based on elastic stability analysis to design bolted single shear lap (SSL) connections, which are traditionally used for hollow structural section (HSS) bracing members, is proposed in this paper. The method includes connections with different lap plate thicknesses. An approximate nonlinear analysis method is also presented to mimic the inelastic buckling and post-buckling response of the connections. These approaches are validated by the existing experimental results of three X-bracing specimens and by the numerical results obtained from nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis. The results show that the design procedure proposed by the current guidelines for the HSS can be improved using the calculated effective length factor of this study. Lastly, a stiffened SSL connection detail is suggested for X-bracings and is assessed through the employed analytical methods. This detail is efficiently able to prevent the formation of the three-hinge buckling mode in SSL connections by omitting one of the involved plastic hinges. By using this detail, the compression strength of the connections is enhanced to a level that is normally demanded by special concentric braced frames (SCBF).