#ONNECTING (33

"Y $ONALD 2 3HERMAN

-AKING CONNECTIONS WITH (33 MEMBERS IS EASIER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK

FREQUENT COMMENT IN THE NOT

SO DISTANT PAST WAS h4UBES
WOULD MAKE GOOD STRUCTURAL
MEMBERS BUT HOW CAN GOOD
CONNECTIONS BE MADEv 4HE
!)3# (OLLOW 3TRUCTURAL 3ECTIONS (33
#ONNECTIONS -ANUAL ADDRESSED THIS QUES
TION IN  4HE (33 #ONNECTIONS -ANUAL
SHOWS A VARIETY OF CONNECTIONS AND CON
TAINS NUMEROUS EXAMPLES ON HOW THEY
CAN BE DESIGNED ALONG WITH AIDS TO FACILI
TATE THE DESIGN (OWEVER THERE ARE SEV
ERAL NUANCES REGARDING (33 CONNECTIONS
THAT SHOULD BE OF INTEREST TO DESIGNERS
AND DETAILERS
4HERE ARE FOUR BASIC CATEGORIES OF (33
CONNECTIONS WITH SEVERAL TYPES WITHIN
EACH CATEGORY 3OME IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF
DETAILING MUST BE CONSIDERED IN SELECTING
AN APPROPRIATE TYPE OF (33 CONNECTION

3IMPLE 3HEAR #ONNECTIONS

 3HEAR CONNECTIONS IN TYPICAL FRAMING

SYSTEMS ARE MADE BY SHOP WELDING A
CONNECTING ELEMENT TO AN (33 COLUMN
OR GIRDER AND lELD BOLTING TO A 7
SHAPE BEAM )F THERE ARE (33 BEAMS
GUSSETS OR END TEES CAN BE USED TO PRO
VIDE A lELD BOLTED CONNECTION SIMILAR
TO THE WEB OF A 7 SHAPE 4HE TYPES OF
CONNECTIONS ARE
3INGLE PLATE SHEAR TAB

3INGLE ANGLE
5NSTIFFENED SEAT
$OUBLE ANGLE
74
3TIFFENED SEAT
4HROUGH PLATE
4HESE ARE LISTED ROUGHLY IN ORDER OF
COST HOWEVER THIS MAY VARY DEPENDING
ON THE FABRICATORS EQUIPMENT AND EXPE
RIENCE 4HE THROUGH PLATE WOULD HAVE A
LESS EXPENSIVE PLACEMENT IF SIMILAR BEAMS
ARE FRAMING INTO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE COL
UMN 'ENERALLY THROUGH PLATES ARE NOT
RECOMMENDED UNLESS THERE ARE AXIAL FORC
ES THAT HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED THROUGH THE
SUPPORT /RTHOGONAL THROUGH PLATES ARE
TO BE AVOIDED IN ALL CASES
 )N ORDER TO MAINTAIN ROTATIONAL mEX
IBILITY IN THE CONNECTION TRANSVERSE
WELDS ACROSS THE FACE OF THE (33 ARE
USED ONLY IN THE STIFFENED SEAT AND
ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE SINGLE ANGLE
4HE OTHER CONNECTIONS USE ONLY VERTI
CAL WELDS WITH SMALL RETURN (OWEVER
FOR SINGLE AND THROUGH PLATES !)3#
RECOMMENDS NO WELD ACROSS THE THICK
NESS OF THE PLATE
 4HE THROUGH PLATE IS THE ONLY CONNEC
TION THAT IS UNIQUE TO (33 COLUMNS
!LL OTHERS ARE ALSO USED WITH 7 SHAPE
COLUMNS AND DESIGN ASSUMPTIONS
AND CRITERIA ARE THE SAME AS NOTED IN

THE (33 #ONNECTIONS -ANUAL EXCEPT

FOR LIMIT STATES INVOLVING THE (33 WALL
4HESE LIMIT STATES ARE SHEAR IN THE (33
WALL ADJACENT TO THE WELD AND PUNCH
ING SHEAR IN THE CASE OF SINGLE PLATE
CONNECTIONS
 4HE SINGLE PLATE THROUGH PLATE AND
STIFFENED SEATS ARE THE ONLY SHEAR CON
NECTIONS THAT CAN BE USED WITH ROUND
(33 COLUMNS )N THE CASE OF THE STIFF
ENED SEAT THE SEAT PLATE MUST BE CUT TO
CONFORM TO THE RADIUS OF THE COLUMN
 4HE DOUBLE ANGLE CONNECTION IS THE
ONLY ONE THAT REQUIRES COPING OF THE
BEAM SO THAT THE WEB CAN BE KNIFED
BETWEEN THE OUTSTANDING ANGLE LEGS
DURING ERECTION )N ALL THE OTHER CON
NECTIONS THE BEAM IS SWUNG INTO POSI
TION FOR BOLTING WHICH FACILITATES TIME
AND SAFETY DURING ERECTION
 &OR DOUBLE ANGLE AND SINGLE ANGLE
CONNECTIONS THE (33 COLUMN WIDTH
SHOULD BE v OR GREATER 4HIS IS NECES
SARY TO ACCOMMODATE THE THICKNESS OF
THE BEAM WEB THE SIZE OF THE TYPICAL 
OR v ANGLE LEG THE SIZE OF THE lLLET
WELDS AND THE CORNER RADII OF THE (33
3INGLE PLATE AND THROUGH PLATE CON
NECTIONS CAN BE USED WITH ANY WIDTH
OF (33 COLUMN 4HE WIDTH OF THE CON
NECTION AND (33 FOR THE OTHER TYPES
OF CONNECTIONS ARE DETERMINED BY THE

3IMPLE 3HEAR #ONNECTIONS FOR (33

-/34 %#/./-)#!,

-/2% %80%.3)6%

-/34 %80%.3)6%

3INGLE PLATE CONNECTION SHEAR TAB

$OUBLE ANGLE SHEAR CONNECTION

4HROUGH PLATE SHEAR CONNECTION

*ULY  s -ODERN 3TEEL #ONSTRUCTION

"OLTED -OMENT #ONNECTIONS FOR (33

%ND PLATE MOMENT CONNECTION

4EE STUB MOMENT CONNECTION WITH SHEAR PLATE

4HROUGH 0LATE -OMENT #ONNECTION FOR (33

4HROUGH PLATE MOMENT CONNECTION WITH A COLUMN SPLICE

mANGE WIDTH OF THE BEAM (OWEVER

ALLOWANCE MUST BE MADE TO PERMIT
A lLLET WELD ON THE mAT OF THE (33 )F
mARE BEVEL WELDS ARE REQUIRED FOR TEES
WITH mANGES THAT ARE WIDER THAN THE
(33 THE COST OF THE CONNECTION IN
CREASES DRAMATICALLY
 3INGLE PLATE CONNECTIONS CAN BE USED
IN PLACE OF THROUGH PLATE CONNECTIONS
WITHOUT IMPAIRING THE STRENGTH OF THE
COLUMN DUE TO DISTORTION OF THE WALL
AS LONG AS THE (33 SECTION IS NOT THIN
WALLED BT b 

@&Y OR $T b &Y 

4HROUGH PLATES CANNOT BE USED IN
BOTH PLANES FOR ORTHOGONAL SHEAR CON
NECTIONS
 !LL OF THE CONNECTIONS PRODUCE A MO
MENT ON THE COLUMN THAT MUST BE
CONSIDERED IN ITS DESIGN )N ADDITION
TO THE ECCENTRICITY FROM THE FACE OF THE
COLUMN TO ITS CENTROID THERE IS AN EC
CENTRICITY OF THE SHEAR FORCE ASSUMED
IN THE DESIGN CRITERIA FOR EACH OF THE
TYPES OF CONNECTIONS AS NOTED IN THE
(33 #ONNECTIONS -ANUAL 5SUALLY THE
SHEAR IS ASSUMED TO ACT AT THE WELD OR
THE BOLT LINE &OR SINGLE AND THROUGH
PLATE CONNECTIONS THE ECCENTRICITY
*ULY  s -ODERN 3TEEL #ONSTRUCTION

VARIES WITH THE LENGTH OF THE CONNEC

TION AND WILL BE OUTSIDE THE BOLT LINE
FOR LONG CONNECTIONS
 4HE STABILIZING ANGLES AT THE TOP OF
SEATED CONNECTIONS WILL PROBABLY RE
QUIRE lELD WELDING SINCE BOLTING TO
THE (33 TO ACCOMMODATE THE TILT IN THE
mANGES OF THE 7 SHAPE BEAM PERMIT
TED BY MILL TOLERANCES IS IMPOSSIBLE OR
DIFlCULT

-OMENT #ONNECTIONS

 4HERE ARE NO STANDARD TYPES OF MOMENT

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN 7 SHAPE BEAMS
AND (33 COLUMNS AND THERE IS LITTLE
INFORMATION IN PUBLISHED LITERATURE
(OWEVER THE (33 #ONNECTIONS -ANUAL
DESCRIBES SEVERAL POSSIBILITIES ALONG
WITH SUGGESTED DESIGN PROCEDURES
"EAM OVER COLUMN FOR SINGLE STORY
CONSTRUCTION
"EAM THROUGH A COLUMN
&LANGE SPLICE PLATE THROUGH THE
COLUMN
&LANGE SPLICE PLATE AROUND THE
COLUMN
$IRECT BEAM TO COLUMN CONNEC
TIONS

4HE BEAM OVER COLUMN IS THE ONLY

ONE THAT IS EFlCIENT AND ECONOMICAL
4HE OTHERS ARE EXPENSIVE AS IS THE CASE
WITH MOST MOMENT CONNECTIONS
&OUR FACTORS THAT DICTATE THE CRITICAL
LIMIT STATES ARE IMPORTANT IN SELECTING
THE TYPE OF CONNECTION
A 4HE MAGNITUDE OF MOMENT THAT
MUST BE TRANSFERRED TO THE (33
B 4HE MAGNITUDE OF THE MOMENT THAT
MUST BE TRANSFERRED THROUGH THE
(33
C 4HE MAGNITUDE OF THE AXIAL LOAD IN
THE (33
D 4HE REQUIREMENTS OF ORTHOGONAL
FRAMING
 $UE TO THE UNIQUE REQUIREMENTS OF A
PARTICULAR JOB A RELATIVE COST EVALUA
TION IS NOT POSSIBLE (OWEVER THE NEED
FOR STIFFENERS AND THE DEGREE OF SHOP
WELDING MAKE MOMENT CONNECTIONS
EXPENSIVE 4HEY CAN ALL BE DETAILED TO
AVOID lELD WELDING
 &OR 7 SHAPE BEAM OVER COLUMN CON
STRUCTION WITH LATERAL BRACING AT THE
TOP OF THE BEAM THERE ARE COLUMN STA
BILITY CONCERNS DUE TO THE OUT OF PLANE
mEXIBILITY OF THE BEAM WEB 4HIS PRO

%ND #ONNECTIONS FOR (33

7ELDED TEE END CONNECTION









DUCES A WEAKNESS BETWEEN THE BRACE

POINT AND THE TOP OF THE (33 AND AL
LOWS SIDESWAY IN THE COLUMN BUCK
LING MODE 4HIS MUST BE RESISTED BY
STIFFENING THE WEB OR PROVIDING LATERAL
BRACING AT THE TOP OF THE (33
7HEN THE BEAM PASSES THROUGH THE
(33 COLUMN WEB STIFFENING MUST BE
PROVIDED TO TRANSFER THE COLUMN AXIAL
LOAD THROUGH THE COLUMN 7HEN mANGE
SPLICE PLATES PASS THROUGH THE COLUMN
A COLUMN STUB IS REQUIRED BETWEEN THE
PLATES TO PROVIDE COLUMN CONTINUITY
&LANGE SPLICE PLATES AROUND THE COL
UMN PERMIT THE COLUMN TO BE CONTINU
OUS THROUGH THE CONNECTION
-ILL TOLERANCES PERMIT VARIATIONS IN
BEAM DEPTH AND mANGE TILT WHICH
MUST BE RECOGNIZED AND PROVIDED FOR
IN THE DETAILS FOR mANGE SPLICE PLATES
AND BEAMS THROUGH THE COLUMN 4HIS
CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH lELD SHIMS
BETWEEN THE SPLICE PLATES AND BEAM
mANGES
7HEN mANGE SPLICE PLATES ARE USED
SINGLE PLATE SHEAR CONNECTIONS SHOULD
BE USED TO CARRY THE SHEAR FORCE BE
TWEEN THE BEAM AND COLUMN AND TO
FACILITATE lELD ERECTION
)N DIRECT CONNECTIONS THE BEAM mANG
ES AND WEB ARE WELDED DIRECTLY TO THE
(33 WALL 4HE LIMIT STATES IN THE (33
WALL WILL DETERMINE THE MAGNITUDE
OF MOMENT THAT CAN BE TRANSFERRED
WHICH WILL GENERALLY BE LESS THAN THE
FULL MOMENT CAPACITY OF THE BEAM

%ND #ONNECTIONS

 %ND CONNECTIONS ARE PRIMARILY USED IN

BRACING MEMBERS 4HEY CAN BE MADE
BY USING GUSSETS END TEES END PLATES
OR WELDING AROUND THE PERIMETER
 7ELDING AROUND THE PERIMETER CAN DE
VELOP THE FULL STRENGTH OF THE MEMBER
BUT ONLY lLLET OR 0*0 WELDS SHOULD
BE SPECIlED #*0 WELDS ARE DIFlCULT

3LOTTED (33GUSSET PLATE END CONNECTION

TO MAKE AND INSPECT AND ARE ALMOST

NEVER NEEDED TO DEVELOP THE REQUIRED
STRENGTH
 $UE TO SHEAR LAG GUSSETS AND END TEES
CANNOT EFlCIENTLY DEVELOP MORE THAN
 OF THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF THE (33
 4HE BOLT LAYOUT FOR END PLATES SHOULD
NOT USE CORNER BOLTS THAT LIE OUTSIDE
THE PROJECTIONS OF TWO SIDES OF THE (33
#LOSE LENGTH TOLERANCES ARE REQUIRED FOR
lT UP AND BOLT TIGHTENING AT BOTH ENDS
/NLY lLLET OR 0*0 WELDS SHOULD BE USED
TO ATTACH THE END PLATE TO THE (33

$IRECT #ONNECTIONS

 7ELDED (33 TO (33 CONNECTIONS ARE

TYPICALLY USED IN TRUSSES TO CONNECT
BRANCH MEMBERS TO MAIN MEMBERS
WITH WELDS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF
THE BRANCH 4HE TYPES OF CONNECTIONS
ARE
4 OR 9 WITH A SINGLE BRANCH PERPEN
DICULAR OR AT AN ANGLE TO THE MAIN
MEMBER
+ WITH TWO OR THREE BRANCHES IN A
SINGLE PLANE GAPPED OR OVERLAPPING
#ROSS WHERE THE LOAD IS TRANSFERRED
THROUGH THE MAIN MEMBER TO THE
BRANCHES 
"UTT SPLICES
/THER TYPES SUCH AS MULTIPLANAR
AND OFFSET BRANCHES
4HE NEW  !)3# 3PECIlCATION GIVES
DESIGN CRITERIA FOR RECTANGULAR AND ROUND
(33 IN 4 9 AND + CONNECTIONS WITH AXIAL
LOADS OR MOMENTS IN THE BRANCHES 4 9 AND
GAPPED + CONNECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED IN THE
(33 #ONNECTIONS -ANUAL !)3# DOES NOT
CONSIDER MULTIPLANAR CONNECTIONS OR OFFSET
BRANCHES !73 $ SHOULD BE USED
 4HE DESIGN CRITERIA SPECIFY THE MAXI
MUM LOAD IN THE BRANCH BASED ON LOCAL
LIMIT STATES IN THE MAIN MEMBER WHICH
ARE OBTAINED EMPIRICALLY THROUGH EX
TENSIVE TESTING -EMBER AND CONNEC
TION DESIGN CANNOT BE SEPARATED AND

SPREADSHEETS ARE USEFUL DESIGN TOOLS

 $ESIGN RULES FOR + CONNECTIONS CON
SIDER SOME ECCENTRICITY WHERE THE
INTERSECTION OF THE BRANCH CENTERLINES
DOES NOT LIE ON THE CENTERLINE OF THE
MAIN MEMBER )F THE INTERSECTION IS
WITHIN THESE LIMITS SECONDARY MO
MENTS IN THE CONNECTION DO NOT HAVE
TO BE CONSIDERED
 'APPED + CONNECTIONS ARE PREFERRED
TO OVERLAPPED CONNECTIONS IN ORDER
TO AVOID PROlLING OF THE OVERLAPPING
BRANCH WHICH IS ESPECIALLY COMPLEX
FOR ROUND (33
 4HE WELD BETWEEN A SLOPING BRANCH
AND MAIN MEMBER MAY VARY FROM A
lLLET WELD TO 0*0 WELD DEPENDING ON
THE POSITION IN THE JOINT #*0 WELDS
SHOULD NOT BE SPECIlED
 #*0 WELDS MAY BE NECESSARY IN TENSION
BUTT SPLICES BUT 0*0 WELDS SHOULD BE
USED IN COMPRESSION SPLICES )F #*0
WELDS USE BACKING IT CANNOT BE RE
MOVED 7ITHOUT BACKING PREQUALIlED
PROCEDURES CAREFUL lT UP AND QUALI
lED WELDERS MUST BE USED TO ENSURE
ADEQUATE ROOT PASSES
 7HEN RECTANGULAR (33 HAVE A BRANCH
AND MAIN MEMBER WITH THE SAME
WIDTH THERE IS A PROBLEM MAKING THE
SIDE WELDS DUE TO THE GAP RESULTING
FROM THE CORNER RADIUS OF THE MAIN
MEMBER 4HIS REQUIRES EITHER
0ROlLING THE TRANSVERSE WALL OF THE
BRANCH TO THE CONTOUR OF THE MAIN
MEMBER
5SING A BACKING WHICH CANNOT BE
REMOVED
0LACING A WELD BEAD ON THE CORNER
OF THE MAIN MEMBER TO ACT AS A
BACKING
 6ISUAL INSPECTION IS THE BEST WAY TO
ENSURE SOUND WELDS SINCE NO ACCESS
TO THE INSIDE AND CONTINUALLY CHANGING
ANGLES MAKE RADIOGRAPHIC AND ULTRA
SONIC INSPECTION DIFlCULT AND UNRELI
*ULY  s -ODERN 3TEEL #ONSTRUCTION

ABLE 6ISUAL INSPECTION SHOULD INCLUDE

THE lT UP BEFORE WELDING AND COMPLI
ANCE WITH THE WELD PROCEDURE AS WELL
AS EXAMINATION OF THE lNAL WELD

$IRECT "OLTING TO (33

 )T IS POSSIBLE TO USE MECHANICAL FASTEN

ERS TO MAKE ATTACHMENTS TO (33
4HROUGH BOLTS WHICH CANNOT BE
FULLY TIGHTENED DUE TO (33 WALL
mEXIBILITY
3IDE ACCESS HOLES WHICH WILL WEAK
EN THE (33 IF NOT REINFORCED
#OMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE EXPANDING
BLIND BOLTS WHICH ARE MOLLY BOLTS
FOR STEEL 2EAD ABOUT AVAILABLE

BLIND BOLT PRODUCTS ON PAGE  OF

THIS MONTHS ISSUE
7ELDED THREADED STUDS
3ELF TAPPING SCREWS WITH THIN (33
&LOW DRILLED AND COLD TAPPED HOLES
SUITABLE FOR REPETITIVE SHOP OPERATIONS
 &ASTENERS CAN BE USED FOR UNUSUAL AP
PLICATIONS OR ATYPICAL lELD REPAIRS
$ONALD 2 3HERMAN IS A 0ROFESSOR %MERITUS
OF #IVIL %NGINEERING AND -ECHANICS 5NIVER
SITY OF 7ISCONSIN -ILWAUKEE

,IMIT 3TATES IN + #ONNECTIONS FOR (33

*ULY  s -ODERN 3TEEL #ONSTRUCTION