Upcoming Events

The ASCE Structural Engineer Institute, New Orleans Chapter

(Co-Sponsored by the University of New Orleans Department of Civil Engineering) 

Presents

Hollow Structural Section Connections

In recent years, the popularity of hollow structural sections (HSS) – for on-shore construction in the United States – has increased dramatically. The pleasing aesthetic appearance generated by architecturally exposed hollow sections is much favored by architects, and HSS can also provide reduced weight and surface area when compared to equivalent open sections.  Connections have usually been the challenging aspect for the designer of structures that involve HSS.  In many cases, the local strength of the HSS at the connection is an integral part – and perhaps a limitation – of the design.  Moreover, reinforcing the connections of HSS assemblies is often not an available option, for either architectural or fabrication reasons.  Thus, connection design of tubular structures is paramount.

The presentation outlines the background to, the resources available, and the principles behind the design of HSS connections.  HSS-to-HSS welded connection design is now specified in ANSI/AISC 360-05 Chapter K for structural steel buildings, so particular attention is given to this Specification (and its 2010 counterpart), along with an imminent AISC Steel Design Guide No. 24 on “HSS Connections”. Emphasis in these documents – and hence in the presentation – is given to connection behavior, failure modes, limit state checks and limits of validity. Some illustrative connection design examples are given in the presentation, in both LRFD and ASD formats.

A new structural hollow section shape has recently entered the market in the U.S. – the elliptical hollow section (EHS) – so an introduction to this newest member of the HSS family is also given.