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01 CAPITULO7InglesTexto
01 CAPITULO7InglesTexto
01 CAPITULO7InglesTexto
Construction of Mill Buildings, Technical Report No. 13, AWS Welding Handbook or
AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges. While the design of these
members is beyond the scope of this text, it is important to note that crane runways in
heavy mill buildings should be analyzed carefully for fatigue loading considerations.
Certain critical details of design and fabrication are common to those used in highway
and railroad bridge and trestle work and are covered in text, illustration, and examples
in the AISC publication Bridge Fatigue Guide Design and Details. The reader is
referred to this source for a more comprehensive cause and effect discussion of design
criteria, details, and secondary connections that may also be pertinent and applicable in
heavy construction of all kinds. It is recommended that crane girders supporting heavy
loads be designed as simple spans.
Trusses
For long spans, trusses are often used instead of girders. Because of their greater depth,
trusses usually provide a greater stiffness and, therefore, reduced deflection, when
compared pound-for-pound with rolled beam or plate girder members of equal strength.
Six general types of trusses frequently used in building frames are shown in Fig.
7-2, together with modifications that can be made to suit particular conditions. The Pratt
truss (Fig. 7-2a) and the Warren truss (Fig. 7-2c), along with modifications of these
types shown in Figs. 7-2b and 7-2d, may be used as the principal supporting members in
floor and roof framing. Note that the Pratt and Warren trusses shown have a top chord
which is not quite parallel to the bottom chord. Such an arrangement is used to provide
a slope for the drainage of flat roofs. Most of the connections for the roof beams or
purlins supported by these trusses can be identical. This would not be the case if the top
chord were truly level and the elevation of the purlins had to be varied. When used in
floor framing, the Pratt and Warren trusses are designed with parallel chords.
The Fink truss (Fig. 7-2e) and the Scissors truss (Fig. 7-2h), along with
modifications shown in Figs. 7-2f, 7-2g, and 7-2i, serve a similar function in
symmetrical roofs having a pronounced pitch.
The Bowstring truss (Fig. 7-2j) is used to support a curved roof.
In some multistory buildings, free passage is needed through deep floor trusses.
In other buildings, especially in office areas, the appearance and arrangement of
exposed steel work must be considered. Both conditions may be satisfied with the
Vierendeel truss (Fig. 7-2k).
The chord and web members forming a truss are placed with the work lines of the
members intersecting at common points to form panel point connections. When loads
are applied only at the panel points of the trusses, as shown in Figs. 7-2a and 7-2b and
in Figs. 7-2d through 7-2i, the stress in each member will be a direct axial stress. These
axial stresses produce tension (+) in some of the members and compression () in the
other members, as indicated in the truss diagrams. In the case of the Bowstring truss
shown in Fig. 7-2j, the top chord and vertical members are in compression and the
bottom chord and diagonal members are in tension for the usual truss configuration.
Note, however, that when the top chord of a bowstring truss is actually formed to an arc,
as is frequently the case for small trusses, the deviation from a straight line chord
between panel points will produce a small amount of bending in the member. This will
require that the axial stress be increased by the additional compression induced by the
bending. In the case of the Vierendeel truss shown in Fig. 7-2k, since the sloping
diagonal members used in the other types of trusses are omitted, the top chord and
vertical web members are stressed in both compression and bending, and the bottom
chord members are stressed in both tension and bending. In this case, rigid joints are
required and the design details of all joint connections must be shown by the design
engineer.
When vertical loads are imposed on a truss at locations other than at panel points,
bending moments are produced in the member thus loaded. For example, the loads P
which are not at panel points in Fig. 7-2c create bending stresses in the top chord. These
must be added to the direct compression stress in the top chord. Ordinarily, the
maximum stress produced by such bending is greater than the stress due to direct
compression. Hence, if loads have to be supported at these points, vertical struts usually
are placed under them in the truss to transmit the load directly to the joint or panel point
in the bottom chord, as indicated in Fig. 7-2d. Similarly, if loads are applied at the
bottom chord, additional vertical tension members are added as indicated by the dashed
lines in Fig. 7-2d.
Transverse cross sections through three buildings, framed with trusses of the
general types previously discussed, are shown in Fig. 7-3. The cross section shown in
Fig. 7-3a could be for either a storage building or a light industrial building. In this case
a Fink truss has been used to provide a generous roof slope. Buildings of this type are
often designed to resist only the load from the weight of the roof itself plus the load
from wind and snow. The contents of the building are supported on the ground floor.
When this is the case, the construction is relatively light. The roof and exterior wall
covering may consist of light-gage cold-formed steel roof deck and siding. Ventilation
is provided by roof ventilators or wall louvers, and natural lighting may be obtained by
use of translucent panels installed in the walls and roof.
The cross section shown in Fig. 7-3b depicts a type of framing often used in
industrial buildings, where overhead traveling cranes handle heavy loads from one point
on the ground floor to another. When very large areas are to be covered by a roof, the
supporting trusses may be made continuous over a number of supporting columns, as
shown in Fig. 7-3c. Designed and fabricated as continuous spans, framing of this type is
frequently used for manufacturing buildings, warehouses, shopping centers, and many
other one-story structures.
All of the main members in a transverse frame, taken collectively, are frequently
referred to as a bent.
Columns
Columns of the type shown in Fig. 7-4 support the transverse beams, girders or trusses,
longitudinal crane girders, and other structural members in an industrial building. When
the construction is relatively light, single shaft columns (either one piece or stepped)
may be used, as shown in Figs. 7-4a and 7-4b. The use of a bracket support for a crane
girder such as shown in Fig. 7-4a usually is limited to about a 50-kip reaction.
For heavy mill building work, with heavy bridge cranes, the double and triple
shaft columns shown in Figs. 7-4c and 7-4d respectively provide a means of separately
supporting the crane girder reactions and the roof girder or truss loads. The multiple
shaft columns consist of one or two crane columns tied to the building columns by
diaphragms.
The top chord plan in Fig. 7-6 shows ridge struts R, eave struts E, trusses T, roof
purlins P, and a system of diagonal braces. This plan actually represents the horizontal
projection of members which are located in the two sloping roof planes established by
the top chords of the trusses.
The ridge struts R, as shown, consist of two channels tied together by
diaphragms. They act to support the roofing and are a part of the bracing system. Each
of the eave struts E consists of a channel and angle combination, which supports the
roof and wall sheeting and forms part of the bracing system. The diagonal bracing
members, usually made up of single angles, act in conjunction with the eave and ridge
struts and the top chords of the roof trusses to provide a path through which wind forces
are delivered to the eaves of the building. These forces are then taken to the foundation,
partly through the action of the knee-braced columns shown in Section A-A and partly
through the end wall diagonals shown in the end view. The various parts of this bracing
system are designed to maintain the total distortion of the building framework within
the desired limits.
Top chord bracing may be designed in many ways. Diagonals usually are not
required in all panels. Usually the sole purpose of this bracing is to provide temporary
support until other components of the building can be installed or to aid in squaring up
the frame during erection.
Wind forces on the end of a building are transmitted partly to the foundation and
partly to the truss bottom chord level through the gable end columns and girts. These
plus other longitudinal forces, such as crane friction or bumper forces, are then
transmitted down to the ground through a system of diagonals as shown in the side
elevation of Fig. 7-6. It is good practice to locate this longitudinal bracing at the
midpoint between building expansion joints or at the midpoint of the building without
expansion joints. This bracing preferably will be in the corresponding bays across the
width of the building.
A Continuous horizontal bracing system should be provided in the bottom chord
plane in buildings with overhead cranes (see bottom chord plan, Figs. 7-6 and 7-7). The
starting and stopping of the crane trolley, traveling from side to side, sets up forces that
in turn may cause an objectionable sidesway in one or more of the bents. To provide for
the lateral and longitudinal forces from the cranes, particular attention should be given
to bracing in the plane of the bottom chord of the roof trusses. A special analysis of the
bracing and affected bents should be made if the bracing is interrupted, as at a crane
repair location or an expansion joint.
While bracing is preferably designed as the X type, it sometimes happens that
operating or architectural clearances prohibit its use. The K brace is a good alternate
and usually can be designed to accommodate access and openings.
When it becomes impossible to provide either an X or K-bracing system, it is
necessary to distribute the horizontal forces to the effective columns in proportion to
their respective stiffnesses, using an acceptable design analysis procedure.
To provide additional bracing, sway frames (SF) frequently are placed between
pairs of roof trusses, as shown in Section A-A, Fig. 7-7.
Wind and other forces in bracing members should be calculated by the design
engineer and noted on the plans. However, the selection of nominal bracing usually is
based upon judgment and experience. An upstanding leg depth of not less than /9 of the
unsupported length is frequently used in proportioning angle bracing in a horizontal or
sloped plane. The size of bracing may be dictated also by a slenderness limitation (ii r),
which will necessitate the use of a section larger than that which stress alone would
require. When this is the case, the designer may proportion the end connections for the
given force, subject to the minimum load provisions of the AISC Specification (Sect. Ji
.6, ASD; Sect. Jl.5, LRFD). However, when the joint is made with fasteners, the usual
practice is to provide a minimum of two fasteners at each end of such members. The
spacing of stitch fasteners or welds in double-angle bracing will depend on whether the
member is subject to a compression force or to tension only (see AISC Specification
Sect. E4 and D2, ASD and LRFD).
To provide adequate lateral restraint for a column or other compression member,
the restraining member must have sufficient stiffness and strength. A rigorous analysis
is beyond the scope of this book, but one procedure of long practice is to provide a
bracing system to resist a force of 2 percent of the compression force it restrains. Recent
studies indicate that this is very conservative.
Because of the tendency of a knee brace to also act as a support, it is
recommended that they not be used under a crane girder unless the resulting continuity
is recognized in the girder design.
EXPANSION JOINTS
Although industrial buildings are often constructed of flexible materials, roof and
structural expansion joints are still required when horizontal dimensions are large. It is
not possible to state exact requirements relative to distances between expansion joints
because of the many variables involved such as ambient temperature during
construction and the expected temperature range during the life of the buildings. An
excellent reference on the topic of thermal expansion in buildings and location of
expansion joints is the Federal Construction Councils Technical Report No. 65,
Expansion Joints in Buildings.
The report presents the figure shown here as Fig. 7-8 as a guide for spacing
structural expansion joints in beam and column frame buildings based on design
temperature change. The report includes data for numerous cities. The report gives five
modifying factors which should be applied to the Allowable Building Length as
appropriate.
The report indicates that the curve is directly applicable to buildings of beam-andcolumn construction, hinged at the base, and with heated interiors. When other conditions
prevail, the following rules are applicable:
1. If the building will be heated only and will have hinged-column bases, use the
allowable length as specified;
2. If the building will be air conditioned as well as heated, increase the allowable length
by 15 percent (provided the environmental control system will run continuously);
3. If the building will be unheated, decrease the allowable length by 33 percent;
4. If the building will have fixed column bases, decrease the allowable length by 15
percent.
5. If the building will have substantially greater stiffness against lateral displacement at
one of the plan dimensions, decrease the allowable length by 25 percent.
When more than one of these design conditions prevail in a building, the percentile factor
to be applied should be the algebraic sum of the adjustment factors of all the various applicable
conditions.
As far as type of structural expansion joint is concerned, most engineers agree that the
best method is to use a line of double columns to provide a complete and positive separation at
the joints. When joints other than the double column type are employed, low friction sliding
elements are generally used. Such systems are never totally free and induce some level of
inherent restraint to movement.
In addition most building codes include restrictions on location and spacing of fire walls.
Such fire walls often become locations for expansion joints. In these cases the detailing of joints
is indeed a challenge.
shown in Fig. 7-9c, four to six girts can generally be carried on a bay size of 20
to 25 ft before excessive twist occurs. For large girts, where double sag rods
are used, support for the inside flange can be provided by the double diagonal
sag rods of Fig. 7-9c.
DESIGN INFORMATION
Figure 7-10 is a design drawing of a light industrial building designed according to the
AJSC ASD Specification. (This drawing and other design drawings in this chapter are
not intended as models of the best design practice. They have been developed primarily to
furnish examples to illustrate principles of shop detailing practices.) This drawing, prepared by
the designer, gives the fabricator the necessary information to prepare shop drawings for the
structural frame. The drawing must indicate whether it is an ASD or an LRFD design if it shows
member forces for connection design.
A composite plan view shows both the top and bottom chord bracing and the braced bays
requiring sway frames. The size of the eave struts is indicated on the plan, but their location is
shown on the typical wall detail. The size and location of the purlins and girts are shown in the
top chord plan and in the side elevation. Sag rods are used to align purlins and girts.
The cross section taken through the 60-ft width of the structure shows the sizes of the
columns, knee braces, and truss components. The designer has indicated the axial tension and
compression forces in the truss and knee braces. These are needed by the steel detailer to
develop adequate connections. Two sets of forces are indicated: those produced by the gravity
loads and those caused by wind. The wind forces are given the designation () to indicate
tension or compression, because the wind may blow in either direction against the sides of the
building. The gravity forces, since they are produced by loads which act in only one direction
(downward), are either () or (), never both.
Under combined gravity and wind loads, or combined gravity and seismic loads,
the AISC ASD Specification (Sect. A5.2) permits the allowable stresses to be increased
by one-third. Two alternative methods for designing truss connections with the onethird allowable stress increase are commonly used. In the first method, 3/4 of the
maximum combined wind and gravity load in the member, i.e.,
3/4 x [(26) + (55)1 = 60.8 kips
is used with the tabulated allowable connection values shown in the ASD Manual Part 4
or with the allowable stresses for welds and bolts in Sect. J of the ASD Specification. In
the second method, the maximum combined member force, i.e.
(26) + (55) = 81 kips
is used and the allowable fastener values or the allowable stresses are increased by onethird.
It is important that the designer and steel detailer understand these are two
alternate methods of arriving at the same answer. Some designers give the required
connection forces as shown in Fig. 7-10 ( 26 kips wind force and 55 kips gravity
force). Others would substitute the single 60.8 kip force previously discussed
(perhaps rounded off to 61 kips). Unless the design drawing clearly shows the total
force produced by wind loading, normal allowable working stresses should be used in
developing the connection details.
One of the advantages of listing the forces, as in Fig. 7-10, is that the design
indicates whether any of the double-angle truss members may be subject to both tension
and compression. If the magnitude of the reversible force is such that a dead load tensile
force is less than the compressive wind force, the spacing of the stitch fasteners or
welds connecting the two angles would then be governed by the more restrictive
Specification criteria for compression members (Specification Sects. D2 and E4).
For LRFD designs, the designer must give the critical factored member forces,
and clearly indicate that they are for factored loads. These can then be used directly with
the design loads for connections tabulated in the LRFD Manual Part 5, or the design
strengths for welds and bolts in Section 1 of the LRFD Specification. No one-third
increase is applied here because the effect has already been considered in the load
factors.
Design drawings of trusses should show all dimensions that are required to
establish the necessary working points and distances between working points. However,
the exact position of the working points locating diagonal bracing is often left for
determination by the steel detailer.
The columns in Fig. 7-10 have been proportioned by the designer to resist in
bending (acting in conjunction with the roof truss) the moderate amount of wind load
against the wall siding. The column bases are assumed to be free to rotate (as in Fig. 7Sd), unless otherwise specified by the designer. Therefore, the column details will be
relatively simple.
Figure 7-11 is a design drawing of an industrial building which must support an
overhead traveling crane having a lifting capacity of 15 tons. In this building the
columns are subject to large bending stresses because, in addition to the bending
moments induced by wind loads, the operations of the crane will impose horizontal
forces at the crane girder level, which must be resisted by the columns in bending.
In designing this structure, the designer needs to give careful attention to the
problem of developing suitable connections for the stepped columns, where the upper
shaft is spliced to the lower shaft and where the lower shaft is fastened to the
foundation. These connections form a very important part of the structure. The designer
has indicated (as he always should) the desired makeup of these connections. The steel
detailer must follow the design drawing in detailing these connections or, in special
cases, obtain approval from the designer before varying any details. If any questions
arise, the designer should be consulted.
TRUSSES
Types of Construction
Figure 7-2 and the accompanying text presented the various types of truss designs in general use
for industrial construction. The current method of construction is. predominantly welded
connections in the shop and bolted connections in the field, although some shop fabrication with
bolted connections will be found. Both types of construction will be discussed in this section.
The practicing engineer may, however, encounter the need to investigate existing riveted truss
construction in older buildings. The same principles apply as for bolts in bearing-type
connections, recognizing the relative strength and condition of the existing material.
Welded trusses have certain inherent advantages over bolted trusses. There is a saving in
material, because the members usually do not have any holes for fasteners; therefore, tension
members may be designed on the basis of gross section. There also is less detail material, as
gusset plates joining truss components are eliminated in most cases, resulting in a savings in
weight and, usually, less expensive fabrication.
The type of welded truss most commonly used consists of tee sections for the top and
bottom chords and angles for the web members, as shown in Figs. 7-11 and 7-13. It will be
noted that the web angles extend over and are welded to the stem of the tee, thus eliminating the
need for gusset plates in most cases.
For lightly loaded trusses, single web members are often used. In this case, placing all
web members on the same side of the chord minimizes twisting of the chord. Staggering the
web members causes a torque on the chord. As shown below, C x e = T x e.
When the forces are too large for a tee section to be used for the chords, W
shapes, with the web vertical, may be used instead. This requires the use of gusset
plates, which are welded to the bottom flange of the top chord section and to the top
flange of the bottom chord section. Web member angles are welded to the gusset plates.
It is important to note that the use of W shapes as truss members may require special
considerations as subsequently discussed under Splices and Connections in Heavy
Shapes.
For heavily loaded trusses and those with very long spans, W shapes are
sometimes used for both chord and web members as shown in Fig. 7-12. With member
orientation as shown for the field-welded truss joint in Fig. 7-12a, connections usually
are made by groove welding flanges to flanges and fillet welding webs directly or
indirectly by the use of gussets. Because the fitting-up of joints in this type of
construction is seriously affected by dimensional variations in the rolled shapes (see
Standard Mill Practice, Rolling Tolerances, Manual Part 1), members made by welding
plates into H-shapes are preferred by some fabricators.
The gusset plate in Fig. 7-12a acts as an erection aid and also transfers the
diagonal web stress. This same joint detail is used frequently for shop connections. It
would appear that the diagonal member could be cut so that the diagonal web would be
extended into the web of the chord for a direct connection. However, such a detail,
while possible, usually will be more difficult in material preparation and assembly,
since the welding access becomes very limited. Note the obvious difficulty of welding
the gusset or diagonal directly to the chord web. As illustrated, this weld is usually
omitted.
The joint detail shown in Fig. 7-12b is typical for the condition when the chord
web is vertical. Access holes (rat holes) are provided for clearance in making the full
penetration welds. The access holes must be made carefully in accordance with the
Specifications (Sect. J1.8, ASD; Sect. Jl.1 1, LRFD; also refer to the Commentaries).
Stiffeners may be required in the chord web. This connection is analogous to that of a
moment connection, and the stiffener design as well as the need for a stiffener can be
established by the rules of the AISC Specifications (Sect. K 1, ASD and LRFD).
When the designer investigates the need for stiffeners or web reinforcement, it may be
prudent to consider the selection of a heavier section and/or a section with a higher yield
strength. Avoiding stiffeners and web doublers may result in considerable economy.
Refer to Chapter 6 for a discussion of stiffeners.
unsupported length may be the distance between these members, and may extend over
more than one panel length.
When the angles are to be fabricated with their long legs outstanding, this is
indicated on the design drawing by the notation
. This practice is illustrated in
Figs. 7-10 and 7-11. When the long legs are to be back-to-back, the notation
is used.
Similarly, design drawings must show the relative position of the long and short legs for
a single angle. On detail drawings these symbols are replaced by the standard angle
notation (L). Other notations that may be used include: SLBBShort legs back-toback; LLBBLong legs back-to-back; LLVLong legs vertical; LLHLong legs
horizontal; SLVShort legs vertical; SLHShort legs horizontal. In bolted
construction, the placement of the long and short legs is frequently obvious from the
gages. Otherwise, the size of one of the legs must be dimensioned. In welded
construction, the size of one of the legs of unequal leg angles must always be shown on
the detail drawing.
The Tables of Allowable Axial Loads on Structural Tees Cut from W Shapes in
the ASD Manual Part 3 give allowable compression loads for steels of F = 36 ksi and F
= 50 ksi for each tee section. The effect of 1 / r becomes obvious in these tables and
indicates, by comparison, the load efficiency of the two grades of steel. It will be noted
that the higher strength steel has little or no advantage in a great many of the tabulated
values. The same conclusion can be reached by reviewing the Tables of Design Axial
Strength of Structural Tees Cut from W Shapes included in the LRFD Manual Part 2.
These tables are particularly useful in the design of welded trusses with tee chords and
similar applications.
Truss Panel Point ConnectionsWelded Trusses
Figure 7-1 3a shows an enlarged detail of joint U3 of the truss design shown in Fig. 711; it represents the typical treatment of intermediate web connections. Note that the
gravity axes of the vertical and diagonal members intersect on the neutral axis of the tee
chord. Both ASD and LRFD examples of connection design will be shown for this
truss. Accordingly, the member forces for both ASD and LRFD are shown in Fig. 7-11,
Part III.
In order to lend stiffness to the finished truss, the angles comprising one of the
web members at each joint (in this case, U3L3) are extended to near the edge of the
fillet of the tee (k-distance). The required welds are then applied along the heel and toe
of each angle, beginning at their ends rather than at the edge of the tee stem.
It is common practice to place more weld along the heel of the angle than along its
toe. The intent is to minimize any eccentricity that may arise due to the location of
welds with respect to the gravity axes of the connected angles. Tests have shown,
however, that little difference in static load capacity exists between balanced and
unbalanced connections of this nature, and AISC Specifications (Sect. J1.9, ASD; Sect.
J1.6, LRFD) sanctions placing these welds as the joint geometry dictates for statically
loaded members. As will be seen later, sometimes the limitations on weld size are such
that the same size weld must be used at the heel and toe of the angle, and the geometry
of the joint may result in more weld being placed along the toe than along the heel.
The sizes and lengths of weld are determined in accordance with the principles
outlined in Chapter 2. Generally they are made just large enough to transfer the given
axial loads, but this may be affected by the minimum requirements stipulated in the
Specifications (Sect. Ji .5 and Ji .6, ASD; Sect. J1.5, LRFD). See Design Example 3
later in this section.
The diagonal member at joint U1 (Fig. 7-13b) is cut to provide needed weld
length along the angle toe. It might have been possible to swing this member up and to
the right and thereby obtain the necessary length with a square cut end. However,
moving the diagonal also means moving its gravity axis away from the joint
intersection. This will introduce eccentricity and a consequent moment which, when
added to the axial forces, tends to overstress the chord. All gravity axes should intersect
at a common point at each joint unless the eccentricity is considered.
Despite the above recommendation, it is not always practical to place gravity axes
exactly on work lines. Members are sometimes purposely moved slightly to provide
connections for bottom lateral bracing, purlins, sway frames, etc. The resulting
moments are relatively small and are usually neglected.
Limitations on Weld SizeThe sizes of the fillet welds at the ends of truss members
in Fig. 7-11 are subject to the following restrictions (AISC Specifications, Sect. J2.2b,
ASD and LRFD):
1. The maximum size fillet weld along the toes of angles should be 1/16-in. less
than the angle thickness. However, the maximum strength of the welds cannot
exceed the block shear strength of the gusset plate or tee stem to which it is
attached. See Specifications Sect. J4, ASD and LRFD.
2. The minimum size fillet weld depends on the thickness of the thicker part
joined. In the examples that follow, the top and bottom chord tee stems 1/2..
and 7/16..j, thick) are thicker than the angles connected to them. The minimum
size fillet weld is 3/16j in both cases.
Procedure for Determining Amount of Weld Required The amount of weld
required at ends of truss members can be determined by one of the following methods:
1. Divide the length available for welding into the tensile or compressive force for
which the connection is to be designed. This will give the weld value required
per linear inch, from which the size of fillet weld can be determined. The
length available for welding can be scaled from a detail of the truss if the joint
details are drawn accurately and to sufficiently large scale, preferably 1 in. =
1-O. Unless a separate layout is made to a larger scale, it is advisable to
deduct at least /2-in. from the scaled dimension in determining the length
available for welding.
2. Assume a size of fillet weld and divide the value of this weld into the tensile or
compressive force for which the connection is to be designed. This will give
the length of weld required.
3. Determine the total number of linear inches of l/i6fl. weld required, by dividing
the value per inch of a /16-in. weld into the force for which the connection is
to be designed. Then, by trying various combinations of weld size and length,
the size and length of weld can be determined. This method is particularly
advantageous if different size welds are to be used at the heel and toe of the
angle.
In establishing the length of fillet weld, there must also be sufficient additional
length in which to start and stop the weld in order to obtain the full effective weld size.
Note that the minimum length of a fillet weld is four times its size.
Splice at Gusset Plate Although the design indicated the chord splices in Fig. 7-14
to the left of the panel points, in most cases an adequately designed splice at the panel
point also may be used.
In Fig. 7-18a, the bottom chord splice at panel point g (Fig. 7-14) is located l/2-in. to
the left of the panel point. It could have been made right at the panel point, but the
distribution of bolts along the chord angles is more uniform with the splice as shown.
The three bolts through the upstanding legs of the lighter chord angles in this case also
pass through the gusset plate. This, however, does not decrease the number of bolts
required in the 6x6xV2 chord angles, all of which are needed to transmit the horizontal
component of force from the diagonals to these angles.
Figure 7-1 8b is a diagram showing the direction of the forces in the various
components on the right-hand side of the splice. It may be seen that the shear on the
bolts produced by the splice plates and the shear produced by the gusset plate, being on
different transverse planes, are not additive. The splice plates work with the gusset plate
to place the four bolts in bearing on each 6x6xY angle.
In developing the details shown in Fig. 7-18a, which is similar to Fig. 7-17, no part of
the spliced 68.4-kip force (102.6 kip for LRFD design) was assumed to pass through
the gusset plate. The practice of making the splice plates large enough to take all of the
spliced force is conservative and simplifies the design.
When part of the gusset plate (usually the width of the chord angles) is used to splice
the chord, an investigation must be made of the shear and bending capacity of the gusset
plate. Note that the bottom splice plate n also is used as a gusset plate for the bottom
chord struts.
In Fig. 7-19, the top chord splice (shown to the left of joint d in Fig. 7-14) has been
located at the panel point. The six chord bolts to the left of the splice transfer a
proportionate part of the 121 .6-kip force (182.4 kip for LRFD design) from the
horizontal legs of the 6x6x3/8 chord angles to splice plate p. The six bolts to the right of
the splice transfer this force into the 8x8x1/2 chord angles. The four chord bolts in the
gusset plate to the left of the splice transfer a proportionate part of the 121 .6-kip force
(182.4 kip for LRFD design) from the vertical legs of the 6x6x3/8 chord angles to the
splice plates s. The four chord bolts to the right of the splice transmit this force to the
8x8x/2 chord angles. In addition, these four bolts must transmit the horizontal and
vertical components of the forces in the diagonals from the gusset plate to the chord
angles.
Note that the bolts have been spaced along the back of the angles to permit easy
insertion and tightening.