FUNDAMENTALS OF

CONNECTION DESIGN FOR

STRUCTURAL STEEL
BUILDINGS

1
 OUTLINE
Session 1 Connection Types/Classification/
Load Paths/Limit States
Session 2 Direct Loaded Connections/
Prying Forces/Bolt and Weld
Eccentricity
Session 3 Framing Connections

2
 OUTLINE
Session 4 Framing Connections Continued
Session 5 Moment Connections
Session 6 End-Plate Moment Connections/
Bracing Connections

3
 Session 1

TYPES
CLASSIFICATION
LOAD PATHS
LIMIT STATES

4
 CONNECTION TYPES

• TENSION CONNECTIONS
Truss
Hanger
Light and Heavy Bracing

5
 CONNECTION TYPES

• COMPRESSION CONNECTIONS
Column Splice
Beam Bearing Plate
Column Base Plate

6
7
 CONNECTION TYPES
• FRAMING (SHEAR) CONNECTIONS
Double Angles
Single Angle
Shear Tab
Shear End-Plate
Tee Connections
Seated
8
Double Angles

9
Single Angle

10
Shear Tab

11
Shear End-Plate

12
Tee Connection

13
 CONNECTION TYPES
• MOMENT CONNECTIONS
Flange Welded
Flange Plate Welded
Flange Plate Bolted
Tee-Stub
Flange Angle
Moment End-Plate
14
Flange Welded

15
Flange Plate
Bolted

16
Tee-Stub

17
Flange Angle

18
 Moment
End-Plate

19
 CLASSIFICATION OF
BEAM-TO COLUMN
CONNECTIONS

• Fully Restrained - FR
Flange Welded
Flange Plate Welded or Bolted
Tee-Stub
Moment End-Plate
20
 CLASSIFICATION OF
BEAM-TO COLUMN
CONNECTIONS
•Partially Restrained/Pinned - PR
Double Angles
Single Angle
Shear Tab
Shear End-Plate
Seated
21
 CLASSIFICATION OF
BEAM-TO-COLUMN
CONNECTIONS
Classification: Depends on member length
and moment diagram and
magnitude of moment.

Example: Beam Line/Connection Curve

22
MOMENT ROTATION CURVES
Type I, FR Moment Connection

M = 0.9M F

Typical Beam Line

Moment, M

PR Moment Connection
M = 0.5M F

PR Simple Shear
M = 0.2M F Connection

Rotation, θ
23
 SPECIFICATION
PROVISIONS
1999 LRFD Specification, Chapter J
Connection, Joints and Fasteners

1999 LRFD Specification, Chapter K

Flanges and Webs with Concentrated Forces

LRFD Manual of Steel Construction

3rd Edition: Parts 7 to 15
24
 LIMITS STATES IN THE
LOAD PATH
Example: Tension Connection
5/16
5/8" PL 2L 4 x 3 1/2 x 1/4 LLBB
A

Tu

A
3/4" Dia. Section A-A
A325 Bolts, Typ

25
 LIMITS STATES IN THE
LOAD PATH
1 A
2

3,4 Tu

4 2
1 A
1. Angle Yielding
2. Angle Net Section Fracture (including Shear
Lag effects)
3. Bolt Bearing/Tear Out in Angles
4. Angle Block Shear
26
 LIMITS STATES IN THE
LOAD PATH

5. Bolt Shear Fracture

5
6. Bearing / Tear Out in Plate
7. Plate Block Shear 9 8

8. Plate Fracture 10
9. Plate Yield
6,7
10. Weld Fracture
7
98 27
 LRFD
Basic Requirement: Ru < φRn
Where
Ru = required resistance from
factored loads
φRn = design strength
φ = resistance factor
Rn = nominal strength
28
 LRFD
Tension Yielding: φTn = 0.9 Fy Ag
Fracture: φTn = 0.75 Fu Ae

Shear Yielding: φVn = 0.9 (0.6 Fy)Ag

Fracture: φVn = 0.75 (0.6Fu) An

Fy = yield stress Fu = tensile strength

Ag = gross area Ae = effective net area
An = net area
29
 STEEL STRENGTHS
A36 (Generally plate and angle material)
Fy = 36 ksi
Fu = 58 ksi

A992 (Generally beam and column material)

Fy = 50 ksi
Fu = 65 ksi
30
BASIC BOLT RELATED
LIMIT STATES
AND
DETAILING

31
 Bolt Types
A307 – machine bolts
Fu = 60 ksi
A325 – high strength bolts
Fu = 120 ksi
A490 – high strength bolts
Fu = 150 ksi

32
 A325 and A490 Bolts

3/4 in. Dia.

7/8 in. Dia.

1 1/4 in. Dia.

33
 Bolt Tension Strength
(LRFD Table J3.2)
Design tension strength of one Bolt, φrt :
φ = 0.75
rt = Ft Ab
Ab = nominal bolt area
Ft = nominal strength from Table J3.2
φrt = 0.75 Ft Ab = design tension strength
Note: reduced area through threads is
accounted for in Ft. 34
35
 Bolt Tension Strength
Example
Compute design tension strength for 3/4"
A325 Bolt

φrt = 0.75 Ft Ab
Ab = π(.75"/2)2 = 0.442 in2
Ft = 90 ksi (Table J3.2)
φrt = 0.75 × 90 ksi × .442 in2 = 29.8 kips
(see also Table 7-14; p7-35) 36
 Bolts in Shear:
Connection Types
Types of Connections:
(a) Bearing Type
N - threads included in shear plane
X - threads excluded from shear plane
(b) Slip Critical
SC - slip critical
Ex: ¾ in. A325 - N
37
 Bolt Shear Strength
(LRFD Table J3.2)
Design shear strength of one Bolt, φrv :
φ = 0.75
rv = nFv Ab
n = number of shear planes
Ab = nominal bolt area
Fv = nominal strength from Table J3.2
φrv = 0.75 nFv Ab = design strength
Note: reduced area through threads and uneven
distribution of bolt forces included in Fv. 38
39
Table J3.2 Continued

40
 Bolt Shear Strength Example

Pu/2
Pu
Pu/2

Compute design shear strength for

3/4" A325-N Bolt in Double Shear

41
 Bolt Shear Strength Example
(cont)

φrv = 0.75 nFv Ab

n=2
Ab = π(.75"/2)2 = 0.442 in2
Fv = 48 ksi (Table J3.2)
φrv = 0.75 × 2 × 48 ksi × .442 in2 = 31.8 kips
(see also Table 7-10; p7-33)

42
Bolts: Connection Length Effect
Table J3.2 Footnote [e]

When bearing-type connections used to

splice tension members have a fastener
pattern whose length, measured parallel to
the line of force, exceeds 50 in., tabulated
values shall be reduced by 20 percent.

43
 Slip Critical (-SC) Connections
• In Slip-Critical (SC) connections, slip is
considered to be a limit state (serviceability or
strength)
• Slip checked using either factored load (slip is
strength limit state) or service loads (slip is
serviceability limit state)
• Slip-critical connections require pretensioned
bolts and control of faying surface

44
 Slip Critical Connections
Section J3.8a. Slip-Critical Connections
Designed at Factored Loads

Pu/2

Pu

Pu/2

45
 Slip Critical Connections
Section J3.8a. Slip-Critical Connections
Designed at Factored Loads

φrstr = φ 1.13 µ Tb Ns

µ = mean slip coefficient (0.33-0.50)

Tb= minimum fastener pretension, Table J3.1
Ns= number of slip planes
φ Depends on the type of hole (0.60 to 1.0)
46
 Slip Critical Connections
Appendix J3.8b. Slip-Critical Connections
Designed at Service Loads
φrv = 1.0 Fv Ab
Fv from Table A-J3.6
Pservice/2

Pservice

Pservice/2
47
Bolts: Combined Shear and
Tension Strength
ft

Ft

Fv fv 48
Note: Shear stress, fv, not to exceed Fv.
49
 Bolt Holes
Hole Types and Dimensions (Table J3.3):
• Standard (Std.) db + 1/16 in.
• Oversized (OVS)
• Short Slots (SS)
• Long Slots (LS)
(Standard Hole is default for these notes)

50
51
 Bolt Holes in Calculations
• For all hole related limit states except
bearing-tear out, the effective hole diameter
used in calculations is
d′′h = dh + 1/16 in.
The additional 1/16 in. accounts for damage
due to hole making process.
• For bearing-tear out, the actual hole
diameter is used.
52
 Bolts: Bearing Strength

Excessive Hole Pu
Elongation

Tear Out Pu

Lc Lc

53
54
 Bolts: Bearing Strength
Section J3.10 Bearing Strength at Bolt Holes
φ = 0.75
For standard, oversized, and short-slotted holes
Rn = 1.2 L ct Fu < 2.4 db t Fu
1.2 L ct Fu is based on tear out
2.4 db t Fu is based on excessive hole
elongation
Lc = clear distance
Pu

Lc Lc 55
Example: Bearing Design Strength
PL 1/2" x 7"
A36, Fu = 58 ksi

112 "
4"
112 "

3/4" A325-N Bolts

112 " 3" Std. Holes

Interior Bolts:
Lc = 3 in – 13/16 in = 2.19 in
2.4dbtFu = 2.4 x 0.75 x 0.5 x 58 = 52.2 k (controls)
1.2LctFu = 1.2 x 2.19 x 0.5 x 58 = 76.2 k
φRn = 0.75 x 52.2 = 39.2 k 56
Example: Bearing Design Strength (cont)
PL 1/2" x 7"
A36, Fu = 58 ksi

112 "
4"
112 "

3/4" A325-N Bolts

112 " 3" Std. Holes

Edge Bolts:
Lc= 1.5 – 13/32 = 1.09 in.
2.4dbtFu = 2.4 x 0.75 x 0.5 x 58 = 52.2 k
1.2LctFu = 1.2 x 1.09 x 0.5 x 58 = 37.9 k (controls)
φRn = 0.75 x 37.9 = 28.4 k
57
 Bolts: Minimum Spacing and
e s Edge Distance
e
s Tu
e

Section J3.3 Minimum Spacing

The distance between centers of standard,
oversized, or slotted holes, shall not be less
than 2 2/3 times the nominal diameter of
the fastener; a distance 3d is preferred.
58
Note: Sheared plates require larger edge distance.59
BASIC WELD RELATED
LIMIT STATES
AND
DETAILING

60
 Weld Fracture
Welds J2.4. Design Strength
Design Strength = φ Rn = φ Fw Aw.

For Fillet Welds

φ = 0.75
Fw = 0.60 FEXX
FEXX = electrode tensile strength, ksi

61
Weld Fracture: Effective Areas
f
tef
f t tef t

t t

teff = 0.707 t for t < 3/8” teff = t

for t > 3/8” teff = t + 0.11”

FCAW, GMAW, SMAW SAW

62
 Weld Fracture
Example: E70
1/16
φRn = 0.75 (0.6x70)(0.707x 1/16) = 1.392 k/in/1/16

Example: E70
1/4 5"
Let D = no. of 1/16’s
φRn = 1.392 D Lweld= 1.392 x 4 x 5 = 27.84 k

63
Minimum Fillet Weld Sizes

64
 Maximum Fillet Weld Size

Maximum Fillet Weld Size:

tp < ¼ in. tw = tp
1/16"

tp > ¼ in. tw = tp – 1/16 in.

65
 Base Metal Strength at Weld
Section J4.1 Shear Rupture Strength
The design rupture strength for the limit
state of rupture along a shear failure path
in the affected elements of connected
members shall be taken as

φRn = 0.75 (0.6 Fu Anw)

66
Example: Determine φPn for Welds
PL 3/8" x 8"
A36
E70
1/4
Fu = 58 ksi
φP n

PL 5/16" x 5"
Weld Rupture: 5"

φPn.= (1.392x4) (5x2) = 55.7 k

Base Metal:
φPn.= 0.75 (0.6 Fu Anw)
= 0.75 (0.6x58) (5/16) (5x2) = 81.6 k
φPn.= 55.7 k
67