Structural Steel

Connections.

Prepared by,

AKD (Construction Worker)

Introduction

 Connection means joining the individual

members of a structure to form a
complete assembly.

⚫ Requirement of good connection

 It should be Rigid.
 It should be least weakening part in the joint.
 It can be easily installed, inspected and maintained.
Types of connections

 Riveted connection
 Bolted connection

 Pinned connection

 Welded connection
 Most commonly used connections are……
 Bolted connections
 Welded connections

⚫ Reasons for avoiding riveted connections are

 Low strength
 High installation cost

 High noise while riveting

 Difficult to repair
Connecting Structural Steel

• Connections made in a fabrication shop are called shop connections

• Connections made in the field by the steel erector are called field
connections
• Bolting and welding may be used for shop connections and field
connections
• Field connections are typically bolted
• Welding is better suited to the controlled environment of a fabrication
shop
Bolted Connection
Codal provisions for Bolts
 Normally used bolts are Grade C Clause 4.6 ,Size range is
M12 to M 39
 Hexagonal bolt, Product grade C, with thread M12, nominal
length, l=80mm,and property clause 4.6 designated as

 Hexagonal head bolt ISO 4016-M12 x 80 – 4.6

 Clause 4.6 means

⚫ Tensile strength of Bolt 400 N/mm2
⚫ Yield strength of the bolt is 60% of Tensile strength of
bolt

 IS 6639 : 2005 gives the all specifications of bolts

 Parts of the Bolt Assembly
Grip Washer
Washer Nut
Face

Shan Thread
Head k
Length

• Grip is the distance from behind the bolt head to the back of the nut or
washer
▪ It is the sum of the thicknesses of all the parts being joined exclusive
of washers
• Thread length is the threaded portion of the bolt
• Bolt length is the distance from behind the bolt head to the end of the
bolt
 Permissible stresses for clause 4.6 bolts as per IS 800 –
1984

 The Per. Stress in a bolt (other than HSFG) of property

clause higher than 4.6 = the stress above table multiplied by
the ratio of 0.2 percent proof stress or 0.7 times tensile
strength which ever is lesser, to 235Mpa

 Dia. Of bolt hole = Dia. Of bolt + 1.5 mm

 Pitch
 Minimum Pitch = the distance b/n bolts should not be less than
2.5 x nominal dia of bolt

 Maximum Pitch
⚫ The distance b/n any adjacent rivets should not exceed 32t or
300mm, which ever is less, t = thickness of thinner section in
connection
⚫ The distance b/n centers of two adjacent rivets, in line lying in the
direction of stress
 Tension members : 16t or 200 mm which ever is less
 Compression members : 12t or 200 mm which ever is less
⚫ The distance b/n centers of any two consecutive bolts in line adjacent
and parallel to an edge of an outside of plate shall not exceed 100+4t
or 200 mm, which ever is less in compression or tension member
Edge distance
Shear connections
 Beam to Beam connection
 Beam to column connection
⚫ Connection capacity = 80% of member capacity
⚫ No of bolts= End reaction/Bolt strength
 Design of connection medium (angle or plate)
1.5shearforce
⚫ Max. Shear stress in angle=
nth
⚫ Should be less than 0.4 times of yield stress of steel
 n= no of angles
 t= thickness of angle
 h= height of angle
Shear connection
 Seated connection

 Unstiffened seat connection

 Stiffened seat connection
 This unique type of shear connection
 The arrangement of seat angle eliminates erection bolts
 Generally Outstanding (seating) leg is taken as 100mm
 The seat is assumed as flexible in Unstiffened seat connection
 R
 Bearing length of outstanding leg, b = − 3h2
 bt .t
 If seat angle used is thicker, the
reaction in concentrate on TOE of
outstanding leg
 If thinner angle, the reaction is
distributed some length
 The cleat angle of nominal size is
provided and connected by two
rivets to each leg
 --h2 is root of fillet from extreme
fiber of flange of beam
 The connected leg is so that at least
3 rows of bolts can accommodate
 The thickness of seat angle is chosen
such that the outstanding leg does
not fail in bending on the section at
the toe
 Stiffened seat connection

Tvf .cal  tf .cal

+  1 .4
Tvf  tf

 If reaction is high
 When the seating leg cannot provide the required area
 The thickness of stiffener angle should not be less than the
thickness of beam supported
 The Bolts connecting to the column flange to the stiffener
angle subjected to direct shear and bending moment
 Bearing area required=R/Bearing stress(0.75*fy)
 The outstanding leg length should not exceed 16 times of its
thickness to avoid local buckling
Moment Resistance connections

 Light Moment connections

⚫ Clip angle connection

 Heavy Moment connections

⚫ Bracket connection
⚫ Split beam connection
Light Moment connections

 Small end moments, Large shear force

 if a Clockwise moment acts on the connection, the bolt 1 subjected
to tension and bolts 2 & 4 subjected to transverse shear
 if an anticlockwise moment acts on the connection, the bolt 3
subjected to tension and bolts 2 & 4 subjected to transverse shear
 Web clip angle connection bolts designed to direct shear
 Light Moment connections

 Limitations
⚫ Only two Bolts can provide in one gauge line to connect the
outstanding leg with column flange
⚫ Bolts can be provided in only one gauge line.
⚫ If more than one gauge line or more than two bolts in one gauge line is
provided, Bolts will be subjected to non uniform forces
 Bracket Connection 1
(Axis of load is lying in the plane of bolt)
 Forces subjected to
connection
⚫ Direct shear (Fa)= End
reaction/no of bolts
⚫ Shear due to moment
(Fm)= M .r
 r2
 Resultant force,
FR = Fa2 + Fm2 + 2Fa Fm cos 

 Resultant force should be

less than Bolt value

r
 Bracket Connection 2
(Axis of load is not lying in the plane of bolt)

⚫ Forces subjected to connection

 Direct tensile stress (Tvf)=

4W
nd 2
 Tensile stress due to moment (tf)=

4M .r
d 2  r 2

Tvf .cal  tf .cal

+  1 .4
Tvf  tf
 Split Beam connection

 Split beam are made by cutting I-

section or T-section
 The bending moment in split beam
connection is resisted by bolts on split
beams
 End shear resisted by the bolts on the
web clip angle
 The limitation of the split beam
connection is that only 4 bolts can be
used to resist tension
 When the end moment produces pull
greater than the value of 4 bolts in
tension
 Introducing the flange clip seats,
 The flange clip seat is made from
I-section
Column splices
 Ends of the column cut by ordinary method
 Ends of the column cut and milled
 When the ends of the column cut by ordinary method the
splice should be designed for full axial load and other forces
to which the joint is subjected.
 When the ends of the column machined properly, the bolts
designed by 50% of axial load and other forces acting on the
joint
 Centroidal axis of the splice and connecting member should
be coincide –to avoid eccentricity
 Assume column splice plates as short column with zero
slenderness ratio .allowable working stress in compression
can be used for calculating c/s area
 When the moment and shear force are also acting in
addition to axial force
 Flange splice – axial force and moment

 Web splice – shear force

 Web splices
 Rational splice
 Moment splice
 Shear splice

Flange splices
 Flange splice should be done @ the location
where excess flange are available
 It should not be done @ location of web splice
 Flange splice located where the stress is less
 Their C.G. should be coincide
 The area of flange plate should not less than
5% area of flange element spliced
 The bolts should be designed to carry
force/load 5% in excess of the force/load in
spliced element
Welded Connections
Codal provisions for Welds

 Throat thickness of the fillet

weld = K x Size of the weld
Size of fillet weld
 The size of weld shall not be less than 3 mm nor more than
the thickness of thinner part of connection
 Min. length > 4S
 When the fillet weld is applied to rounded toe of a rolled
section, S= ¾ x thickness of the section @ toe
 Intermittent fillet weld clear spacing
= 12t for compression
16t for tension, but should not be
greater than 200 mm
t=thickness of thinner plate in joint
Size of butt (groove) weld
 Size of the weld = Effective throat thickness
 Complete penetration butt weld
 Effective throat thickness = Thickness of the thinner
part in connection
 Incomplete penetration butt weld
 V,U,J and bevel types= 7/8 x thickness of the thinner
part
 Effective length = Length of the weld
 Effective area = Effective length x Effective throat thickness
 Intermittent butt welds used for resist shear only
 Effective length of the Intermittent butt weld should not be
less than 4 x longitudinal space nor more than 16 x
thickness of thinner part in connection
 Intermittent butt welds are not be used in positions subject
to dynamic ,repetitive and alternative stress.
Per. Stress in welds
 Per. Stress in site weld will be reduced to 80%
 Increased per. stresses = 25% for earthquake design or wind load
design
 Combined shear & bending =
 Combined shear ,bending & bearing =
 Basic Welding joints
TYPE OF JOINT APPLICABLE WELDS
FILLET J-GROOVE
PLUG FLARE BEVEL GROOVE
SLOT SPOT
SQUARE GROOVE PROJECTION
BEVEL GROOVE SEAM

TYPE OF JOINT APPLICABLE WELDS

SQUARE GROOVE J-GROOVE
V-GROOVE FLARE V-GROOVE
BEVEL GROOVE FLARE BEVEL GROOVE
U-GROOVE EDGE FLANGE
TYPE OF JOINT APPLICABLE WELDS
FILLET FLARE V-GROOVE
SQUARE GROOVE FLARE BEVEL GROOVE
V-GROOVE EDGE FLANGE
BEVEL GROOVE CORNER FLANGE
U-GROOVE SPOT
J-GROOVE PROJECTION
SEAM

TYPE OF JOINT APPLICABLE WELDS

FILLET J-GROOVE
PLUG FLARE BEVEL GROOVE
SLOT SPOT
BEVEL GROOVE PROJECTION
SEAM
Fillet Full penetration Partial penetration
single bevel single bevel groove
groove weld weld

Full penetration Partial penetration

Plug double vee single J groove
groove weld weld
Full Penetration Groove Welds
Partial Penetration Groove Welds
Typical connections
Shear connections
 Skewed shear connection
 Beam –column direct connection  Beam splice
 Beam- Column joint
 Beam- Column joint (seat angle)

 Beam- Column joint (end plate)

Hanched connections
Bracing connection
Base plate
Clevises
 References….
 Dr. B.C. Punmia, Design of steel structures, Laxmi publications (P)
Ltd,2006.
 Ramachandra,Design of steel structures, Standard book
house,1988.
 A Teaching guide for structural steel connections, American
Institute of Steel construction Inc.
 IS 800 – 1984,Code of Practice for General Construction in Steel.
 IS 816 – 1969, Code of Practice for use of Metal Arc Welding for
General Construction in Mild Steel.
 IS 813 – 1986, Scheme of Symbols for Welding.
 IS 2062 – 1992, Steel for General Structural Purpose.
 IS 1363 (Parts 1 to 3) – 1992,Hexagon head Bolts, Screws and nuts
of product C.
 IS 1367 (Part 3) – 2002, Technical Supply Conditions for Threaded
Steel Fasteners.
 IS 6639 – 2005, Hexagon Head Bolts for General steel Structures
– Specifications.
Thank you….