Connections

• It is a joint or a support in which translational

movement between the members connected
is prevented, but rotational movement is
freely allowed.

• Joints are made to connect members and

transfer loads. Loads can be transferred as
normal forces - shear forces - bending
moments  1
 Connection configurations
Rigid Joints
• In structural modelling, rigid joints are expressed by fixed
supports or guided supports where relative rotation is
prevented.

• In RC real world, rigid joints are made by overlapping steel

reinforcement into members (For example, entering column
reinforcement into foundation by a developed length).

• In steel structures, rigid joints are made by connecting the

flanges of the member into the other to prevent relative
rotation of the member (For example, connecting the I-
beam flanges into the web of the column through right
angles).
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 Rigid Joints
• Joint can transfer bending moments or
not by preventing relative rotation of
members.

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Rigid Joint

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 Rigid Joint

 Fixed base column is connected to the  foundation.

Anchor bolts are placed away from the column centre to give
as much lever arm
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Rigid Joint

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 Connection configurations
• Simple or Pinned Joints
• beam can rotate freely.
•  made by connecting the member's web to the
web/flanges of the other member

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Shear or simple Connection

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Simple or Pinned Joints

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Pin Joint

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 Pin Joint

In theory, the connection has “some” moment capacity, but since

the bolt holes are slightly over-sized, the beam can rotate a bit
before the bolts engage, making it act more or less like a pin.
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In the rigid connection the flange is held.

 In the pinned connection the beam is held only along the web
to obtain a shear connection while the flanges are free to
rotate. 12
If only the web is held then it is a
simply supported beam

For the beam to be fixed the flange

must be held and prevented from
rotating in addition to the web being
supported 13
• Pinned connections are usually singly
bolted/rivetted while hinged connections are
multiply bolted/rivetted.

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 Roller Support

Support girders for large bridges 15

Roller support is used in bridges which
acts as bearings to allow
expansion/contraction of the structure
due to temperature changes

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Roller Support or Rocker Bearing

Horizontal movement is due to curved surface provided at 17

the bottom
 Hinge Support of Sydney Harbor Bridge

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 hinge supports for bridges

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 Semi Rigid Joints

•  It allows certain rotation at the same

time it also provides some rigidity.
• Semi-rigid joints allow the relative
rotation of members but up to a specific
angle
• rotational stiffness is between pinned
and rigid joints.

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 Semi Rigid Joints

• In structural modeling, these joints are

expressed by rotaional springs with
rotational stiffness

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 Semi Rigid Joints
• It exists in RC structures more often than
steel structures, they can be found when
steel reinforcement are not overlapping
between members but in the same time,
these members are poured altogether (Like
the connection between slab and column in
the flat-slab systems).
• These joint theoretically allow relative rotation
of members up to a specific.

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Simple connection design (transmit axial and
shear forces only; no moment transfer)

• Double Angle Cleat Design

• Fin Plate Design
• End Plate Design

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Angle cleat

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Fixed Connection & Internal Hinge 35