Design and strength assessment of a

welded connection of a plane frame

Structural connections

Structural connections of a plane frame must

be able to transfer
1) internal forces between beam and beam
2) internal forces between beam and column
3) reaction forces between column and ground

These are typical permanent connections and can be riveted, bolted

or welded

The basic criterion in the design of connections include

- assessment of their static strength and endurance
- assessment of the right transfer of the internal forces
The welded connection at point B must be designed

AdvancedDesignforMe

Reaction and Internal moments

Reaction forces and internal moments can be evaluate:
1) using handbook formulae for a similar structure loaded with distributed
load or concentrated load, and then applying the superposition principle.
2) applying the Principle of Virtual Work
3) by means FEM model of the frame
The suggestion is to evaluate reaction forces and internal moments by
means of handbook formulae and to compare results with results obtained
by Principle of Virtual Work or FEM analysis

AdvancedDesignforMe

Moment for distributed load: handbook formulae*

*Manuale for mechanical engineer, Hoepli edition 1994, (in italian).

AdvancedDesignforMe

Moment for concentrated load: handbook formulae

AdvancedDesignforMe

Principle of virtual work for frames

P N d M d T d M

1
all applied loads

d
all beams s
s s s

external work

internal work

t ,1

where
s is the curvilinear coordinate along the axis of each beam
P is the applied load on the auxiliary structure
is the displacement, on the real structure, of the point where the load is applied
N1 , M 1 , T1 , M t ,1 are the internal forces on the auxiliary structure
d , d , d , d are the related deformations on the real structure

For plane frame Mt=0 and the deformations due to the axial and the
shear forces are negligible, only the internal bending must be taken
into account

AdvancedDesignforMe

The examined plane frame

The plane frame is symmetric only half of the frame have to be
considered
Q/2
Q/2
p

p
B

RE
ME

RE and ME: hyperstatic

unknown

A
l/2

The structure is two times hyperstatic

The internal moment M(x) on the real structure is
M(x)=M0(x)+RE*M1(x)+ME*M2(x)

AdvancedDesignforMe

Internal moment M(x) on the real structure

Q/2

p
B

Isostatic
structure

RA
A
MA

E 1
Auxiliary
structure n. 2

Auxiliary
structure n.1

1
1*h

M2(x)

M1(x)

M0(x)

M(x)=M0(x)+RE*M1(x)+ME*M2(x)

AdvancedDesignforMe

PVW for the auxiliary structure n. 1

h

1 0 M 1, AB ( x)d AB
0

l/2

1, BE

( x)d BE

where
1 applied force on the auxiliary structure
0 displacement of point E on the real structure
M 1, AB(x) and M 1, BE ( x) moments on the auxiliary structure
d AB
d BE

M AB(x)

EJ
rotations on the real structure
M (x)
BE
EJ

AdvancedDesignforMe

PVW for the auxiliary structure n. 2

h

1 0 M 2, AB ( x)d AB
0

l/2

2 , BE

( x)d BE

where
1 applied moment on the auxiliary structure
0 rotation of point E on the real structure
M 2, AB(x) and M 2, BE ( x) moments on the auxiliary structure
d AB
d BE

M AB(x)

EJ
rotations on the real structure
M (x)
BE
EJ

AdvancedDesignforMe

10

Hyperstatic unknown
The system

1 0 M 1, AB ( x)d AB

0
h

1 0 M ( x)d
AB
2, AB

l/2

1, BE

( x)d BE

l/2

2 , BE

( x)d BE

allows the calculation of RE and ME

AdvancedDesignforMe

11

FEM Analysis
20000 N/m

20000 N

Constrains:
Point A U1=U2=UR3=0
Point E U1=UR3=0

Deformed shape

Model

AdvancedDesignforMe

12

Example of results

31420 Nm

The same cross section

IPE 330 has been
used for the beam
and for the column

Moment at nodes

10370 Nm

AdvancedDesignforMe

13

The cross section of the beam and of the column

Cross sections can be choose on the basis of the bending moment only

On each cross section act the bending moment due to the distributed
load constant and the bending moment due to the concentrated load Q
varying sinusoidally with time

M b , tot M b , p M p , Q sin t
y

E
z

Mb,p

Maximum of Mb,p
and Mb,Qsint

Mb,Qsint
z

AdvancedDesignforMe

14

Bending stress on the cross section at point E

We consider the cross section at point E where both Mb,p and
Mb,Qsint are maximum.
The bending stresses result linearly varying with the distance from
the neutral axis:

b ,tot , max

Aa
a
A
a

a a a
a

b ,tot

b,tot

b ,tot
a , max

M b, p
M b ,Q sin t

y
y
J
J
xx
xx
m
a

and sinusoidally varying with time

AdvancedDesignforMe

15

 It is maximum at the points that are most distant from the neutral axis
of the section

b ,tot , max

The condition

M b , p h M b ,Q sin t h

J 2
J
2
xx
xx
m , max
a , max

b ,tot , max lim

where is the safety factor and lim can be obtained from the Haigh diagram of the
material

allows the calculation of Jxx of the beam section.

AdvancedDesignforMe

16

Bending Haigh diagram

a
a,f
lim
a,max

m,max

AdvancedDesignforMe

UTS

17

Design of the structural node

The node between the column
and the beam, realized with a
double T section, must be
designed in order to realize a
clamped constrain.

M2

The aim is to transfer the

boundary moment M1, from the
transverse beam to the vertical
column

ht

M1

M1 M 2 M 3 0
hc
M3
AdvancedDesignforMe

18

The welded connection

The end of the horizontal beam, upper plate, lower plate and
web are welded to the upper plate of the column

The weld is a fillet weld type

AdvancedDesignforMe

19

Moment transfer

In the double T sections, if subjected to

flexural moment in the plane of the
web, the axial forces that originate from
the flexural moment are transmitted by
the upper and lower plate.

As a consequence the upper plate of

the column receives the normal forces
of the flexural moment from the
transverse beam, and deflects, except
close to the web.

An overview of the deformations of the node is given in the figure, as result of

a finite element analysis.

The level of deformation, in absence of any reinforcement, is quite high, and

not acceptable.

AdvancedDesignforMe

20

Reinforcements

From the previous considerations, it is intuitive that local reinforcements

are needed, to correctly transfer the flexural moment to the upper and
lower plate of the column.

AdvancedDesignforMe

21

Adopted solution

In the adopted solution, the node is considered as a group of four beams, plus a
diagonal member, all hinged at their ends.

AdvancedDesignforMe

22

 Let M be the moment to be transmitted to the column.

Axial load on the upper and lower plate

of the beam, transferred to the
reinforcement results
M
St
ht
Axial load on the upper and lower plate
of the column
M
Sc
hc

Sc
D

St
Sd

Sc
E

Sc

Sc

On the diagonal AD acts the force:

S d St

hc2 ht2
hc

hc2 ht2
If the contribution of the web of the column
1
S d St
is take into account, by means of the
hc
coefficient :

AdvancedDesignforMe

23

The comparison between the reinforced node (a) and the one
without reinforcement (b) allow to visualize their different behavior.

(a)

AdvancedDesignforMe

(b)

24

Verification of the beam-column welded joint

In the following the verification of the welding is reported. Let the

two profiles be a IPExxx for the beam and for the column.
The reference sections of the fillet of the welding are place as
shown in figure below.

TB
MB

J is the moment of inertia of the resistant section of the welding

MB and TB are the bending moment and the shear that must be
transmitted by the welded joint

AdvancedDesignforMe

25

At the edges of the fillets welding along the web, where bending
T and LT
and shear are present, the stresses are

So that the reference stress results:

2
* T2 LT
T2

The corresponding safety coefficients then results:

K LIM

*
At point A (top of the horizontal fillet) only T due to bending is present and he
corresponding safety coefficients results:

AdvancedDesignforMe

K LIM
T

26