Chapter 5

Steel Design Rules

for Brackets
All steel parts within a timber
structure must be designed in
accordance with NZS 3404
These parts can be:
• bolts
• welds

Photo courtesy of Timber Systems

• transfer plates

Photo courtesy of Timber Systems

• bearing plates
• brackets
Resistance of Bolts
Bolts can be in

• Shear

• Tension or …

• Combined Shear and Tension

Bolt Capacity
In shear: (Section 9.3.2.1)
Vf* ≤  Vf =  0.62 fuf kr (nnAc + nxAo)
Where  = 0.8
fuf = minimum tensile strength of bolt (as per Table 9.3.1)
- for AS/NZS 1111 grade, fuf = 400 MPa TYPICAL
- for AS/NZS 1252 grade, fuf = 830 MPa
kr = reduction factor (1.0 for wood-to-steel)
nn = number of shear planes with threads intercepting the
shear planes
Ac = minor diameter area of the bolt, in mm2
nx = number of shear planes without threads intercepting the
shear planes
Ao = nominal plain diameter area of the bolt, in mm2
For example:

nn = 4 4-16 mm diameter bolts

Ac = 150 mm2 AS/NZS 1111 grade
nx = 4
Ao = 201 mm2
 Vf =  0.62 fuf kr (nnAc + nxAo)
 Vf = 0.8 · 0.62 · 400 MPa ·1 · (4·150 + 4·200) mm2
 Vf = 277 kN

This is the resistance of the bolts alone at the steel plate interface
Bolt Capacity
In tension: (Section 9.3.2.2)
Ntf* ≤  Ntf =  As fuf
Where  = 0.8
As = tensile stress area, in mm2, as per AS 1275
(typically 0.75 of nominal x-section area)
fuf = minimum tensile strength, in MPa
Bolt Capacity
In shear and tension combined:
(Section 9.3.2.3)

2 2
 V   N 
* *
 f
  tf
  1
  Vf    Ntf 
Remember the rules for
placement of bolts with regards to
edge distance
(NZS 3404 – Section 9.6.2)
Minimum Edge Distance
(not considering strength requirements)

• Sheared or hand flame cut edge

emin = 1.75 df
(to assume if unsure of what is utilized)
• Rolled plate, flat bar or section:
machine flame cut, sawn or planed edge
emin = 1.50 df

• Rolled edge of a rolled flat bar or section

emin = 1.25 df
And the guidelines for placement
of bolts with regards to installation
tolerances
Resistance of Welds
(Structural Purpose Category)
Weld Capacity – Fillet Weld
(Section 9.7.3.10)

for a weld length of 1 mm,

vw* ≤  vw =  0.6 fuw tt kr

Where  = 0.8
fuw = nominal tensile strength of weld metal (as per Table 9.7.10(1))
- for E41XX or W40X, fuw = 410 MPa
- for E48XX or W50X, fuw = 480 MPa
(Note that fuw ≥ fu, i.e weld metal to be stronger than base metal)

kr = reduction factor to account for length of weld (kr = 1.0 if Lw ≤ 1.7m)

tt = design throat thickness, in mm
 Fillet weld

Photo courtesy of Timber Systems

Weld Capacity – Complete and Incomplete
Penetration Butt Welds (Section 9.7.2)

For the Complete Penetration Butt Weld,

the capacity shall be that of the weakest part joined, as long as
fuw ≥ fu
i.e the weld metal must be stronger than the metal of the weaker part
joined.

For the Incomplete Penetration Butt Weld,

calculate design capacity as for a fillet weld using the design throat
thickness.
Complete penetration
butt weld
Transfer Plates
Photo courtesy of Timber Systems
Plates can be subjected to compression,
tension, shear or moment …
(although not a good joint if plate is in compression)
For a bolt in contact with a steel plate:
(Section 9.3.2.4)

Vb* ≤ C1  Vb = C1  min(3.2 df tp fup, aetpfup)

Where C1 = as given in Table 12.9.4.3 (C1 = 1 if elastic design)
 = 0.9
df = bolt diameter, mm
tp = plate thickness, mm
fup = tensile strength of the plate, MPa
ae = minimum distance in the direction of the component
of the force plus ½ the bolt diameter, in mm
Definition of ae

ae
In tension: (Section 7.1)

N* ≤  Nt =  MIN (Ag fy, 0.85 kt An fu)

Where  = 0.9
Ag = gross area of x-section, in mm2
fy = yield strength, in MPa
kt = correction factor for distribution of forces, Section 7.3
(if tensile force is distributed uniformly, kt = 1.0)
An = net area of x-section, in mm2
fu = tensile strength, in MPa
Plates subjected to shear:
Plates subjected to shear: (cont’d)

V* ≤  Vv =  Vvn
(Section 5.11.3)
Where  = 0.9
Vvn = nominal shear capacity of a flat plate with non-uniform
shear stress distribution, as per 5.11.3 (a)
 2Vvu
where Vvn   Vvu
 fvm 
*
0.9   * 
 fva 
Where Vvu = nominal shear capacity of a flat plate assuming a uniform
shear stress distribution, as per 5.11.2
f*vm = maximum design shear stress
f*va = average design shear stress

Assuming the following shear distribution; where f*va = V/A

and f*vm = 3V/2A, then the solution becomes …

 2Vvu
Vvn   Vvu
3 V A
0.9   
2 A V
2Vvu
  0.833 Vvu  Vvu
0.9  1.5

and Vvu = Vw = 0.6 fy Aw = 0.6 fy dp tw

(as per 5.11.2.2 for stocky webs)
Thus
Vvn = 0.833 · 0.6 fy dp tw

Vvn = 0.5 fy dp tw per plate

Plates subjected to shear: (cont’d)

V* ≤  Vv

where  = 0.9
Vv = 0.6 Avfy
Av is the area in shear
 Plates subjected to shear and tension:

V* ≤  Vv +  Nt

where  = 0.9
Vv = 0.6 Avfy
Av is the area in shear
Nt = An fy
An is the area in tension
Bearing Plates
Bearing Plate over Concrete
Pf
Bearing Plate over Steel

Np
*
In both situations, the plate is
assumed to act as a cantilever beam

Np* Np*
qw   in MPa
Aw b  L bw

tp

Np*
qs 
Np
* As
Bearing Plate
as a Cantilever Beam
Np* Np*
qw   in MPa Np*
Aw b  Lbw w f  qw b 
Lbw

tp
Np* Lcw
qs 
As
 wf w f L2cw Np* L2cw bt p2
M 
*
2
   Ms  fy Z e   f y 4
2 L bw

M* tp Np* L2cw bt p2
 4
fy
Lcw 2 L bw

2N p* L2cw
tp 
 bL bw f y
Brackets
Brackets are an assembly of
plates welded together and
resisting loads that could be
concentric or eccentric
 One has to design welds
and each plate element for
compression, bending,
tension and shear
Compression (Section 6)

N* ≤ Nc
where  = 0.9
Nc = nominal member capacity
L
= cNs tp
Ns = nominal section capacity, as per
section 6.2.1.1
c = member slenderness reduction factor
N*
r = radius of gyration = t p / 12

Plate would be designed as a column of effective length L

Bending
For a plate of width b and thickness tp

determine the M* and get Ms =  fy Ze

2
bt p
where Z e 
4
and verify that  Ms  M*
tp
M*
 Then, for special cases,
account for eccentricities in
welds, tension in bolts, etc…
Eccentricities in welds subjected
to shear and moment
Eccentricities in welds subjected
to shear and moment


L
aL
V*

V*
tp

See Dawe and Kulak, 1974 Welded connections under combined shear and moment.
ASCE Journal of the Structural Division, 100(ST4), April.
 Tf
Eccentricities in
tension can cause
prying action in bolts
If tp is small,
deformation in plate N*
due to bending will
occur without
increase in tension in
bolts

0.5N* 0.5N*
If tp is very big, no
deformation in N*
plate will occur and
result in no
increase in tension
in bolts

Capacity of bolt or
0.5N* 0.5N*
concrete governs
In between, the plate
will deform in bending N*
and an increase in
tension in the bolts
will occur due to the
prying action

≥ 0.5N* ≥ 0.5N*
Some steel
brackets examples …
Photo courtesy of Timber Systems
Example of semi-hidden steel bracket
(blue = steel, red = weld)

steel bracket
bracket
elevation

beam

girder
x-section
 V* M*
need to consider:
bearing of wood
shear in T-section
moment in T-section
welds of plates

bracket need to consider:

elevation bearing of wood
girder shear in plate
x-section moment in plate
welds of plates

M*

V*
Photo courtesy of Timber Systems
Photo courtesy of Timber Systems

T&C

C
T
B C
B
C
C C
S
Photo courtesy of Timber Systems
Others points to consider are:

• galvanizing

• use of stainless steel

Questions ?