Ultimate strength of bolted moment-connections between cold-formed steel members

Lim, J.B.P. and Nethercot, D.A. (2003) Ultimate strength of bolted moment-connections between cold-formed steel members. Thin-Walled Structures, 41 (11). pp. 1019-1039. ISSN 0263-8231

Abstract

The behaviour and design of bolted moment-connections between cold-formed steel members, formed by using brackets bolted to the webs of the section, is considered. The particular problem of the moment-capacity of such joints being lower than that of the cold-formed steel sections being connected because of web buckling, caused by the concentration of load transfer from the bolts, is addressed. In this paper, a combination of laboratory tests and finite element analyses is used to investigate this mode of failure. It is demonstrated that there is good agreement between the measured ultimate moment-capacity and that predicted by using the finite element method. A parametric study conducted using the finite element model shows that the moment-capacity of a practical size joint can be up to 20% lower than that of the cold-formed steel sections being connected. Web buckling so-caused must therefore be considered in the design of such connections.

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