STRUCTURAL STEEL

DESIGN

Tension Members
-2-

Eng fuad dhunkal

in Civil Engineering

Faculty of Engineering Golis university

University
 Introduction:
Tension members are axially loaded members stressed in tension and are used in steel
structures in various forms .They are used in trusses as web and chord members
,hanger and sag rods ,diagonal bracing for lateral stability and lap splices such as in a
moment connection ,
Stress: The stress in an axially loaded tension member is given by Equation
P
f=
A
Where,
P is the magnitude of load, and
A is the cross-sectional area normal to the load
The stress in a tension member is uniform throughout the cross-section except:
 Near the point of application of load, and
 At the cross-section with holes for bolts or other discontinuities, etc.

see figure shown below

Analysis of Tension Members :
For members subject to tension, the two basic modes of failure are tensile yielding
and tensile rupture .Tensile yielding occurs when the stress on the gross area of the
section is large enough to cause excessive deformation .Tensile rupture occurs
when the stress on the effective area of the section is large enough to cause the
member to fracture , which usually occurs across a line of bolts where the tension
member is weakest .

The expression for tensile yielding on the gross area is :

Ø Pn = Ø Fy Ag

Where :

Ø = 0.90

Fy = Minimum yield stress

Ag = Gross area of the tension member

The expression for tensile rupture on the effective area is :

Ø Pn = Ø Fu Ae

Where :

Ø = 0.75

Fu = Minimum tensile stress

Ae = Effective area of the tension member

The effective area of a tension member is described as follows :

Ae = U. An

Where :

An = Net area of the tension member

U = Shear lag factor

The net area of a tension member with fasteners that are in line is the difference
between the gross cross-sectional area and the area of the bolt holes :

An = Ag - Aholes

Aholes = n (db + 1/8) t or Aholes = n (dhole + 1/16) t

n = number of bolt holes along the failure plane

db = bolt diameter

dhole = hole diameter

t = thickness

Section B3-13 of the AISC specification indicates that when calculating the net area
for shear and tension , an additional 1/16 in. should be added to the hole size to
account for the roughened edges that result from the punching or drilling process .

For tension members with a series of holes in a diagonal or zigzag pattern , which
may be used when bolt spacing is limited there may exist several possible planes of
failure that need to investigated .

g
s
 In this case another term is added to the net width of the member :

s2
4g

Where:

s = Longitudinal center to center spacing between two consecutive holes

g = Transverse center to center spacing between two consecutive holes

The expression for the net area then becomes :

A = A — ∑(d + 1 ) t + ∑ s2 t
n g b 8 4g
If the zigzag line goes from a web hole to a flange hole , the thickness change at the
junction of the flange and web as shown the example (3-5)
Example
Consider an 8 x ½ in. bar connected to a gusset plate and loaded in tension as shown below in Figure
below

Area of bar at section a – a = 8 x ½ = 4 in2

7
( ( ))
Area of bar at section b−b= 8−2
8
x½

= 3.12 in2
Therefore, by definition (stress equation) the reduced area of section b – b will be subjected to higher
stress
However, the reduced area and therefore the higher stresses will be localized around section b – b.
The unreduced area of the member is called its gross area = Ag
The reduced area of the member is called its net area = An
DESIGN OF TENSION MEMBERS
Members, which carry pure tension, generally referred to as ties, are relatively simple to design. In
reality tension forces are frequently accompanied by moments and the member must be designed for
the combined effects.
The design of tension members is generally straightforward. Tension capacity is determined by:
a. Material properties
b. The presence of holes
 c. Connection eccentricity.

For the case where tensile load is applied along the centroidal axis, the tension capacity is given by:
Pt =A e x p y
Where:
Ae is the effective area of the member cross-section
py is the member design strength
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
Figure below is a simplified stress strain curve for ductile structural steel showing a clearly defined yield
point, a plateau of ductility and an increase in strength due to strain hardening before final failure by
fracture. In most design situations the design strength is simply based on the yield strength, as given in
Table 9.

TABLE: 9 DESIGN STRENGTH

Steel grade Thickness less than or equal to Design strength py
(mm) N/mm2
S275 16 275
40 265
63 255
80 245
100 235
150 225
S355 16 355
40 345
63 335
80 325
100 315
150 295
S460 16 460
40 440
63 430
80 410
100 400
EFFECTIVE AREA IN TENSION
Where there are no holes in the member and there is no reduction in the cross-sectional area at
connections, the effective area Ae is the gross area of the section, Ag.
ALLOWANCE FOR HOLES
Allowance is made for the enhancement by strain hardening by increasing the net area (gross area
minus deductions for holes). The net area is multiplied by a factor Ke (but may not exceed the gross
area, Ag). The values of Ke given in the Code are based on the ratio UTS/yield strength.
The tension capacity of a member with holes is given by
Pt =A e x p y
The effective net area ae is given by:
Ae = Ke × An but ≤ Ag
Where:
Ke = 1.2 for S275 steel
Ke = 1.1 for S355 steel
Ke = 1.0 for S460 steel
Ke = Us/(1.2py) for other grades
An is the net area of the element
Ag is the gross area of the element
Where:
Ae is the sum of the effective net areas a e of all the elements of the section, but not more than 1.2 times
the total net area An.
EXAMPLE 1
Consider the 100 × 15 mm S275 steel plate shown below containing a number of 22mm diameter holes
for 20 mm bolts. Calculate the tensile capacity?

Gross area Ag = 100 x 15 = 1500 mm2

Net Area An = 1500 – (22 x 15) = 1170 mm2
Effective net Area Ae = Ke x An
= 1.2 x 1170 = 1404 mm2
Which is less than the Ag
Tensile capacity ( Pt ) = Ae x p y
= 1404 x 10–3 x 275
= 386 kN
ALLOWANCE FOR ECCENTRICITY
Where a member is not loaded along its centroidal axis, it is necessary to consider the eccentricity in the
design. In general it would be expected that that this eccentricity should be taken account of by the
addition of a moment to the tension in the member, see Figure below. The member would then be
designed as subject to combined tension and bending, we will cover this later.
SIMPLE TENSION MEMBERS
Single angles, channels and T sections
For single angles connected through one leg only, single channels connected through the web only or T
sections connected through the flange only the tension capacity is given by:
For bolted connections
Pt = p y ( A e −0.5 a2 )
For welded connections
Pt = p y ( A g −0.3 a2 )where:

a2 = Ag − a1s
a1 is the gross area of the connected element
Ag is the gross area of the whole section
Ae is the effective area of the whole section
The area of the connected element a 1 is taken as the product of its thickness and the overall leg width
for an angle, the overall depth for a channel connected through the web or the flange width for a T
section connected through the flange
Double angles, channels and T sections
For double angles connected through one leg only, double channels connected through the web only and
double T sections connected through the flange only the tension capacity is given by:

For bolted connections Pt

Pt = p y ( A e −0.25 a2 )
For welded connections Pt
Pt = p y ( A g −0.15 a2 )

EXAMPLE 2
A 200 x 200 x 16 mm angle section in grade S275 is to be used as a tie. Firstly the connection will be
made by a welded gusset plate and secondly by two M24 bolts in a line across the width of the member.
Determine the tension capacity in each case.
From section tables:
Ag = 61.8 cm2 = 6180 mm2
Tmax is ≤ 16mm; therefore py = 275 N/mm2
Determine a1 and a2.
For connected leg
a1 = 200 x 16 = 3200 mm2

for unconnected leg a2

a2 = A g − a 1
= 6180 – 3200 = 2980 mm2
Connection using a welded gusset
Pt = p y ( A g −0.3 a2 )
Pt =275 ( 6180−0.3 ( 2980 ))
Pt =1453.65 kN
Alternatively, the capacity may be obtained from the tension capacity of S275 table as P t = 1450 kN.
Connection using bolts.
For the connected leg, the net area an1 is given by
an1 = a1 – 2 x Dh x t
= 3200 – 2 x 26 x 16 = 2368 mm2
the effective net areas ae1
ae1 = Ke x an1 but ≤ Ag
= 1.2 x 2368 = 2842 mm2. Which is < Ag (=6180 mm2)
For unconnected leg a2 (already calculated)
a2 = A g − a 1
 = 6180 – 3200 = 2980 mm2
Therefore: Ae is the sum of the effective net areas ae of all the elements of the section,
Ae = ae1 + a2
= 2842 + 2980 = 5822 mm 2
Tension capacity of bolted connection
Pt = p y ( A e −0.5 a2 )
Pt =275 ( 5822−0.5 ( 2980 ) )
Pt =1191 kN