SEMINAR

ON

CONNECTIONS IN
STEEL STRUCTURES

Introduction

Connections are structural elements used for joining

different members of a structural steel frame work.

Steel Structure is an assemblage of different

member such as BEAMS,COLUMNS which are
connected to one other, usually at member ends
fastners,so that it shows a single composite unit.

Components Of A Connections

Bolts

Weld

Connecting Plates

Connecting Angles

Classification of Connections

On the Basis of Connecting Medium.

According to the type of internal forces.

According to the type of structural Elements

According to the type of members joining

On the Basis of Connecting Medium

Riveted Connections

Bolted Connections

Welded Connections

Bolted-Welded Connections

Riveted Connections

Used for very long time.

Made up of:
Round Ductile steel bar called shank.
A head at one end

The length of the rivet should sufficient to form the

second head.

Design - very similar to bearing type of

bolted connection.

Installation

Heating of the rivet

Inserting it to an oversize hole pressure to the head.
Squeezing the plain End by Pneumatic driver Round
head.
On Cooling Reduces in
LengthClamping Force

Riveting is no longer used

The introduction of high strength structural bolts.

The labour costs associated with large riveting
crews
The cost involved in careful inspection and removal
of poorly installed rivets.
The high level of noise associated with driving
rivets.

Bolted Connections

Fastened Together primarily by Bolts.

Bolts may be loaded in:
Tension
Shear
Both Tension & Shear
Threads of bolts under shear force:

Excluded Included -

Increased strength
Decreased stregth.

Types Of Bolts

Bearing type bolts

High strength friction grip bolts (HSFG)

The most common type is bearing bolts in clearance

holes, often referred to as

1.

Black Bolts

Ordinary, unfinished, rough, or common bolts.

Least Expensive
Primarily - Light structures under static load such as
small trusses, purlins etc

2. Turned Bolts

Similar to unfinished bolts.

Shanks - Hexagonal Rods
Primarily - Light structures under static load such as
small trusses, purlins etc
Expensive Limited use Structures with no
Slippage Connections

3. Ribbed Bolts
Round head similar to Rivets.
Raised ribs parallel to the shank.
Actual Diameter - slightly Larger than the hole
Tightly fit into the hole.
Popular - Economical in Material &
Installation

High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG)

Uses when bearing type bolts slips under shear

High strength bolts (8G or 10K grade) Pre-tensioned
against the plates to be bolted together so that
contact pressure developed between the plates being
joined
Prevents relative slip when extra shear is applied
Higher Shear Resistance.

Advantages
1. The bolting operation is very silent
2. Bolting is a cold process hence there is no risk of fire
3. Bolting operation is more quicker than riveting.
4.
Less man power is required in making the connections.

Disadvantages
1. If subjected to vibratory loads, results in reduction in
strength get loosened.
2. Unfinished bolts have lesser strength because of non
uniform diameter

Welded Connections

whose components are joined together

primarily by welds.

Welding Notations were developed by

American Welding Society (AWS).

Types Of Weld
Groove ( More reliable than others)
Fillet (Mostly used, Weaker than groove
and others)
Plug (expensive poor transmission of
tensile forces)
Slot (expensive - poor transmission of
tensile forces)
Plug and Slot welds stitch different
parts of members together.

Positions of the welds

Horizontal
Vertical
Overhead
Flat

Advantages

Economical Cost of materials and labors.

Efficiency is 100% as compared to rivets (75- 90%)
Fabrication of Complex Structures Easy like
Circular Steel pipes.
Provides Rigid Joints Modern Practice is of Rigid
Joints.

Disadvantage

No provision for expansion or contraction therefore

greater chances of cracking.

Uneven heating and cooling - member may distort may result in additional stresses.

Inspection is difficult and more costlier than rivets

Bolted- Welded
Connections

Most connections are Shop Welded and Field Bolted

types.

More Cost Effective

Better Strength &
Ductility characteristics Fully welded.

According to the type of internal

Shear (semi rigid, simple) connections

Moment (rigid) connections

Shear (semi rigid, simple) connections

Allows the beam end to rotate without a significant

restraint.
Transfers shear out of beam
Most Common Types:
Double clip
Shear End Plate
Fin Plate

Moment (rigid) connections

Designed to resist both Moment and Shear.

Often referred - rigid or fully restrained connections
Provide full continuity between the connected
members
Designed to carry the full factored moments.

Principal Reason - buildings has to resist the

effect of lateral forces such as wind and
earthquake.

Bolted splice Moment Connection

Field Bolted Moment Connection

According to the type of structural Elements

Single plate angle Connections

Double web angle connections
Top and seated angle connections
Seated beam connections

Single plate angle Connections

Two Step Process

A plate is welded to secondary section (beam)
An Angle is welded to Primary Section (column or
Beam)
single shear plate welded to secondary
beam and bolted to Primary beam or column.

Double web angle connections

Two angles welded or shop bolted to the web

of a secondary beam.
After erection the angles are bolted or site
welded to the primary member (beam or
column).

Top and seated angle connections

Generally used in case of moment connections.

Two angles are provided at top and bottom of
the beam to resist moment.
Generally used for lesser moments where
heavy loads are not acting

Seated beam connections

Generally used in case of shear connections.

A seating angle - at bottom of secondary
beam - shop welded to the primary member.
Seating angle resists vertical shear coming
from the beam.

According to the type of members joining

Beam to beam connections

Column to column connections
(column splices)
Beam to Column Connections
Column Base Plate Connections

Beam to beam connections

Two Types
Primary Beam to Secondary Beam Connection

Beam Splice

Column to column connections

(column splices)

Connects column to column.

Column splice comes under this category.
Used to connect column sections of
different sizes.
Splices - designed for both moment
and shear unless intended to
utilize the splices as internal
hinges.

Beam to Column
Connections

Connects Beam to column.

Very Common
A wide range of different types are used
Fin Plates
End Plates
Web or Flange Cleats
Hunched Connections

Beams are normally attached using two or

more bolts through the web.
End plate connections
single plate welded to the end of the beams
Bolted to the column flange or web - two or bolts
pair.
Fin plate connections
Single Plate welded to the Column.
Beams are normally attached using two or more
bolts through the web.

Column Base Plate Connections

Steel plates placed at the bottom of Columns.

Function - to transmit column loads to the
concrete pedestal.
The design of a column base plate:
determining the size of the plate.
determining the thickness of the plate

A layer of grout should be placed

between
the base plate and its support for the
purpose
of leveling.
Anchor bolts should be
provided to stabilize the
column during erection
or to prevent uplift.

R Usually cost of fabrication and erection

constitute as high as 50% of the total cost
of
steel structures, per tones of material used

BY
NAVEEN ANKUR SWARNAKAR
&
AJEET SHARMA