Ultimate Tensile Strength Study On Gusset Plate Connections To Slotted Tubes And Full-scale Experiment Research

A full-scale experimental study and associated nonlinear finite element analysiswere undertaken to study the ultimate tensile strength of gusset plate connections toslotted tubes in this dissertation.Hollow structural Sections (HSS) are commonly used as bracing members insteel-framed buildings or as web members in roof trusses. The tubes are frequentlyslotted onto gusset plate to simplify fabrication and avoid profiling. Under tensionloading, these gusset plate connections can be susceptible to shear lag failure of theHSS since only a part of the tube cross-section is connected to the plate. Analysis ofnonlinear finite-element for ultimate tensile strength of gusset plate connections toslotted tubes with ANSYS program are carried out in this dissertation. Effects ofconfiguration, material properties and geometrical parameters were considered in thenumerical study. The influence of nondimensional parametersαandβon failuremode and ultimate tensile strength of gusset plate connections to slotted tubes arestudied. Finally, this paper compares current design proposals found in research,design guide and specifications against numerical work. All design methods areoverly conservative and additional research is still necessary.Test study is the most important research method of ultimate strength of joints.In order to accurately simulating actual conditions, a full-scale experimental study onsix connections on static loading has been carried out. Then the tests result iscompared with results of finite-element analysis and current design proposals and thedifference of them are analyzed. The results of full-scale tests in this dissertation canaugment international database of test and numerical analysis results for tubularjoints.Based on the experimental study and numerical analysis, design proposal for theultimate tensile strength of gusset plate connections to slotted tubes is recommended.It has bigness significance to establish design formulae of gusset plate connections toslotted tubes and perfect design formulae of steel tension member and it also can givesome advices to practice engineering.