The Behaviour of Welded Connections in Square and Circular Hollow Sections

Abstract

Hollow Structural Section (HSS) members are known to possess many advantages over equivalent open sections, including better resistance to torsion as well as tension and compression loading, aesthetic appearance and economy in terms of material cost. Connections between HSS members could be made simple by cutting the ends and welding together. However, depending on joint configuration and number of members connected, this may result in complex and expensive connections. This paper presents the results of an analytical investigation done in ANSYS Software. Special attention was paid to T-joints that consist of the chord member of a single square section and brace members of different kinds of cross sections as Square and Circular Hollow sections. A finite element model was developed for 6 specimens to investigate the influence of some variables such as geometry and β-parameter (ranging from β= 0.60 to 1.00) on the joint’s response. The brace load (compressional load) was incremented up to joint failure, while the chord was kept unloaded. The Stress-Strain curves were plotted. The force-displacement curves corresponding to the different geometries are analysed and compared, focusing on the failure loads and elastic stiffness. With respect to the geometry, the test results revealed that the use of square hollow section lead to increased joint capacity. With respect to the type of section, it can be concluded that the resistance of a joint with β= 0.75 is greatly influenced by the type of
brace member.