University of Toronto
Department of Civil Engineering
2010
Weld Design for HSS Connections
Jeffrey Packer received the H. A. Krentz Award for this top-ranked research topic in 2010.
The purpose of this research is to investigate welded HSS connections and assess current Canadian (Packer and Henderson, 1997) and American guidance on weld design (AISC, 2010; Packer et. al., 2010). Specific objectives of the research will be:
Phase 1 of the research will assess the validity of applying the (1.00+0.5sin1.5θ) term for existing CISC weld design recommendations in HSS connections (Packer and Henderson, 1997). The “sinθ effect” allows for a greater weld capacity when the load is applied at an angle θ to the longitudinal axis of the weld. The use of “sinθ effect” to determine weld strength is not permitted for HSS welded connections according to current American guidance (AISC, 2010; Packer et. al., 2010). Existing data from 31 HSS welded T-, Y-, X-, and gapped K-connection tests, performed at the University of Toronto (Frater and Packer 1992a, 1992b; Packer and Cassidy, 1995) will be used to investigate the validity of the “sinθ effect” to determine weld strength for HSS connections.
Phase 2 of the research will involve the experimental study of weld effective lengths in rectangular HSS T-connections subject to branch in-plane bending. Square HSS-to-HSS 90° T connections with branch-to-chord width ratios ranging between 0.25 and 1.0 will be tested. The validity of the “sinθ effect” will also be investigated for fillet welds of these connections. Effective weld properties for T-connections, postulated in Table K4.1 of the AISC 2010 Specification (AISC, 2010) will be verified or adjusted, then implemented in Canada.
References:
AISC (2010), Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, ANSI/AISC 360–10 draft, American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, IL.
Frater, G.S. and Packer, J.A. (1992a), “Weldment Design for RHS Truss Connections. I: Applications”, ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 118, No. 10, pp. 2784 – 2803.
Frater, G.S. and Packer, J.A. (1992b), “Weldment Design for RHS Truss Connections. II: Experimentation”, ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 118, No. 10, pp. 2804 – 2820.
Packer, J.A. and Cassidy, C.E. (1995), “Effective Weld Length for HSS T, Y, and X Connections”, ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 121, No. 10, pp. 1402 – 1408.
Packer, J.A. and Henderson, J.E. (1997), Hollow Structural Section Connections and Trusses – A Design Guide, 2nd. edition, Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, Toronto, ON.
Packer, J.A., Sherman, D.R. and Lecce, M. (2010), Hollow Structural Section Connections, AISC Design Guide No. 24, American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, IL.