Steel Connections

A structure is only as strong as its
weakest link.
CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES
Bolts
Welds
Connecting Plates
Connecting Angles
1.
On the Basis of Connecting Medium
Riveted Connections
Bolted Connections
Welded Connections
Bolted-Welded Connections
Pinned Connections
2.
According to the type of internal forces

the connections are expected to transmit
Shear (semi rigid, simple) connections
Moment (rigid) connections
3.
According to the type of structural

Elements that made up the connections
Single plate angle Connections
Double web angle connections
Top and seated angle connections
Seated beam connections

4.
According to the type of members joining
Beam to beam connections
Column to column connections (column

splices)
Beam to Column Connections
Column Base Plate Connections

Riveted Connections
Used for very long time.
Made up of:
Round Ductile steel bar called shank.
A head at one end
Design - very similar to bearing type of
bolted connection.
The installation of the rivet requires:

Heating of the rivet
Inserting it to an oversize hole
- pressure to the head.

Squeezing the plain
end by Pneumatic driver

- Round head.
On Cooling Reduces in
LengthClamping Force.
Rivets are no longer used due to:

Intro of high strength bolts
Pre-Heating of rivets prior to driving.
Labor Costs
High Level of Noise
Replacing of poorly installed rivets.
Fastened Together primarily by Bolts.
Bolts may be loaded in:

Tension
Shear
Both Tension & Shear
Threads of bolts:
Excluded
Included
While under action of Shear forces, threads

of bolts may be:
Excluded Increased
strength
Included - Relatively
Decreased stregth.
Two types of bolts are used in bolted

connection:
Bearing type bolts
High strength friction grip bolts (HSFG)
The most common type is bearing bolts in
clearance holes, often referred to as Black Bolts.
Black Bolts
Ordinary, unfinished, rough,
or common bolts.
Least Expensive
Primarily - Light structures under static load such
as small trusses, purlins etc

Turned Bolts
Similar to unfinished bolts.
Shanks - Hexagonal Rods
Primarily - Light structures under static load such as
small trusses, purlins etc

Expensive Limited use Structures with no Slippage
Connections
Ribbed Bolts
Round head similar to Rivets.
Raised ribs parallel to the shank.
Actual Diameter - slightly Larger than the hole
Tightly fit into the hole.

Popular Economical in Material & Installation
Bolts used in Slip Critical Connections

High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG) bolts
Pretensioned contact pressure between the
surfaces.
Friction between plates Prevents relative slip
Higher Shear Resistance.
External Force increases than friction between
plates Slip Occurs reserve strength due to bolt.
Advantages
Bolting operation is Silent.
Cold Process - No Risk of fire
Quicker process than riveting
Less Man power needed.
Disadvantages
When Subjected to vibratory loads loosened
reduction of strength
Thread area at root is less less strength
Unfinished bolts lesser strength less diameter.
Most important feature - Quality of the weld

Types of Welds are:
Groove ( More reliable than others)
Fillet (Mostly used, Weaker than groove and others)
Plug (expensive poor transmission of tensile forces)
Slot (expensive - poor transmission of tensile forces)
Plug and Slot welds stitch different parts of

members together.
Type of Joints
Butt
Lap
Corner
Tee
Typical Welded Corner Joint

Positions of the welds:

Horizontal
Vertical
Overhead
Flat
Welding Notations were developed by

American Welding Society (AWS).
Requires Highly Skilled Labors
Advantages
Economical Cost of materials and labors.
Efficiency is 100% as compared to rivets (75-90%)
Fabrication of Complex Structures Easy like
Circular Steel pipes.

Provides Rigid Joints Modern Practice is of Rigid
Joints.
Disadvantages
No provision for expansion or contraction
greater chances of cracking.

Uneven heating and cooling member may
distort may result in additional stresses.

Inspection is difficult and more costlier than rivets
Most connections are Shop Welded and Field

Bolted types.
More Cost Effective
Better Strength &
Welded
Bolted
Ductility characteristics
Fully welded.
End Plate Connection
Purpose - used to connect the members

which are required to rotate relative to each
other.
Pins are cylindrical in
shape, made of structural
carbon steel, forged and
machined to accurate
dimensions
Two Types of Pinned Connections

Allows the connecting members - turn through large
angles, such as in machine parts, crane booms etc.

Allows rotation through
small angles, primarily due
to elastic deformation of the

members.
Advantages
Easy Analysis Moment is Zero at pin.
Free to rotate to allow for elastic deformations.
Allow for Thermal Contraction and Expansion
Secondary Stresses Eliminated to some extent.
Disadvantages
Lacks rigidity - noisy joints. E,g bridge under
heavy traffic. (so used for very large spans)

Cannot resist longitudinal tension produces
friction that prevents free turning of pins.
Allows the beam end to rotate without a

significant restraint.
Transfers shear out of beam
Most Common Types:

Double clip
Shear End Plate
The Tee
Shear Connection
Part of the connection remains stiff in shear - little

restraint to motion perpendicular to its plane.
Double Clip (Double

Angle Shear
Connection)
End Plate Shear

Connection
Fin Plate Connection

Designed to resist both Moment and Shear.

Often referred - rigid or fully restrained
connections - provide full continuity between
the connected members - designed to carry
the full factored moments.
Principal Reason - buildings has to resist the
effect of lateral forces such as wind and
earthquake.
Uses
Between main beams and columns, creating a
rigid frame.
Principally to resist lateral loads, however, vertical
gravity load - negative bending moments at the

ends of the beams.
Bolted splice Moment Connection
Field Bolted Moment Connection

Extended End Plate Moment

Connection
Eaves Haunch Moment Connection

Two Step Process

A plate is welded to secondary section (beam)
An Angle is welded to Primary Section (column or
Beam)
OR single shear plate welded to secondary

beam and bolted to Primary beam or column.
The angle or plate will be bolted or welded

after erection of the beam.
Skew Plate Connection
Single Angle Connection

Two angles welded or shop bolted to the web

of a secondary beam.
After erection the angles are bolted or site

welded to the primary member (beam or
column).
Double Angle Bolted

Connection
Double Angle Weld Bolted

Connection
Generally used in case of moment

connections.
Two angles are provided at top and bottom of

the beam to resist moment.
Generally used for lesser moments where

heavy loads are not acting
Top and Seated Angle Connection

Generally used in case of shear connections.
A seating angle - at bottom of secondary

beam - shop welded to the primary member.
Seating angle resists vertical shear coming
from the beam.
Seated beam connection

Connects beam to beam.
Two Types
Primary Beam to Secondary Beam Connection
and
Beam Splice.
Beam to Beam Connection
Beam Splice
Connects column to column.
Column splice comes under this category.
Used to connect column sections of different
sizes.
Splices - designed for both moment and shearunless intended to utilize the splices as internal
hinges.
Column to Column Connection
Welded Column Splice

Connects Beam to column.
Very Common
A wide range of different types are used

Fin Plates
End Plates
Web or Flange Cleats
Hunched Connections
Beams are normally attached using two or

more bolts through the web.
End plate connections

a single plate welded to the end of the beams
Bolted to the column flange or web - two or more
bolts pair.
Fin plate connections

Single Plate welded to the Column.
Beams are normally attached using two or more
bolts through the web.
Beam to column connections

Steel plates placed at the bottom of Columns.
Function - to transmit column loads to the

concrete pedestal.
The design of a column base plate:

determining the size of the plate.
determining the thickness of the plate
A layer of grout should be placed between

the base plate and its support for the purpose
of leveling.
Anchor bolts should be
provided to stabilize the
column during erection
or to prevent uplift.
Column-Base Plate Connections

(Also a Moment-connection)
Usually cost of fabrication and erection

constitute as high as 50% of the total cost of
steel structures, per tones of material used

Steel Connections

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Steel Connections

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A structure is only as strong as its

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

On the Basis of Connecting Medium

According to the type of internal forces

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

According to the type of structural

Single plate angle Connections

Double web angle connections

Top and seated angle connections

Seated beam connections

According to the type of members joining

Beam to beam connections

Column to column connections (column

Beam to Column Connections

Column Base Plate Connections

Used for very long time.

Round Ductile steel bar called shank.

A head at one end

Design - very similar to bearing type of

The installation of the rivet requires:

- pressure to the head.

end by Pneumatic driver

Rivets are no longer used due to:

Fastened Together primarily by Bolts.

Bolts may be loaded in:

While under action of Shear forces, threads

Two types of bolts are used in bolted

clearance holes, often referred to as Black Bolts.

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

as small trusses, purlins etc

Primarily - Light structures under static load such as

small trusses, purlins etc

Tightly fit into the hole.

Bolts used in Slip Critical Connections

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

Most important feature - Quality of the weld

Plug and Slot welds stitch different parts of

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

Typical Welded Corner Joint

Positions of the welds:

Welding Notations were developed by

Circular Steel pipes.

greater chances of cracking.

distort may result in additional stresses.

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

Most connections are Shop Welded and Field

More Cost Effective

Better Strength &

Purpose - used to connect the members

Two Types of Pinned Connections

angles, such as in machine parts, crane booms etc.

small angles, primarily due

to elastic deformation of the

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

heavy traffic. (so used for very large spans)

friction that prevents free turning of pins.

CONNECTIONS IN STEEL STRUCTURES

Allows the beam end to rotate without a

Transfers shear out of beam

Most Common Types:

Part of the connection remains stiff in shear - little