WELDED CONNECTION

STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN

WELDED CONNECTIONS
Structural welding is a process
whereby the parts to be
connected are heated and
fused, with supplementary
molten metal added to the
joint.

A relatively small depth of material will become molten, and upon cooling, the
structural steel and the weld metal will act as one continuous part where they are
joined. The additional metal, sometimes referred to as filler metal, is deposited
from a special electrode, which is part of an electrical circuit that includes the
connected part, or base metal.
WELDED CONNECTIONS
In the shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process,
current arcs across a gap between the electrode and
base metal, heating the connected parts and
depositing part of the electrode into the molten base
metal. A special coating on the electrode vaporizes and
forms a protective gaseous shield, preventing the
molten weld metal from oxidizing before it solidifies.
The electrode is moved across the joint, and a weld
bead is deposited, its size depending on the rate of
travel of the electrode. As the weld cools, impurities
rise to the surface, forming a coating called slag that
must be removed before the member is painted or
another pass is made with the electrode.
FILLET WELDS
The design and analysis of fillet welds is based on
the assumption that the cross section of the weld
is a 45° right triangle, as shown.

Although a length of weld can be loaded in any

direction in shear, compression, or tension, a fillet
weld is weakest in shear and is always assumed to
fail in this mode.

Specifically, failure is assumed to occur in shear

on a plane through the throat of the weld.
FILLET WELDS
FILLET WELDS
FILLET WELDS
AXIALLY LOADED WELDED CONNECTIONS
Design Strength (NSCP 2015)
Design Strength (NSCP 2015)
Design Strength (NSCP 2015)
Design Strength (NSCP 2015) Summary
A) Design strength of the B) Design strength of weld per mm.
member to be connected by
qn = 0.707tFw; 𝜙 = 0.75, 𝛺=2.00
welding to a gusset plate.
Where:
Based on Gross Area:
● Fw = ultimate stress of weld
Pn = Fy Ag; 𝜙 = 0.90, 𝛺=1.67
● Fw = 0.60 Fu
Based on effective area:

Pn = Fu Ae; 𝜙 = 0.75, 𝛺=2.00

Design Strength (NSCP 2015) Summary
C) Base metal shear strength per D) Design strength of the connection
mm with longitudinal and transverse weld.
1) P = q (L)
Shear yield strength per mm
2) P = q (0.85)(Ll)+1.50q(Lt)
qn = 0.60 Fy t; 𝜙 = 1.0, 𝛺=1.50 Use bigger value of P

Shear rupture strength per mm E) Block shear strength of Welded

Connection
qn = 0.60Fu t; 𝜙 = 0.75, 𝛺=2.00
1) Rn = 0.6 Fu Anv + Fu Ant
2) Rn = 0.6 Fy Agv + Fu Ant
𝜙 = 0.75, 𝛺=2.00
Use the smallest value of Rn
Sample Problem No.1
A double fillet welded lap joint is as shown below. The late thickness is 12mm.
If the allowable tensile strength of the weld metal is 550 MPa, determine the
following:

Determine the following:

a) Minimum size of the fillet weld

b) Total area of the fillet weld
c) Capacity of the connection
Sample Problem No.1
Sample problem No.2
A 150 mm x 90 mm x 12 mm angular section is welded to a gusset plate as
shown. Area of the angle is 2736 sq.mm, allowable shear Fv is 150MPa,
Allowable tensile stress Ft = 0.6Fy with Fy = 250 MPa.

Determine the following:

a) Design force P
b) Total required length of weld
using 12 mm fillet weld
c) Value of “b”
Sample Problem No.3
A flat bar used as a tension member is connected to a
gusset plate. Size of weld is 6 mm, with an ultimate tensile
strength of 185 MPa. E 70 electrodes Thickness of plate =
6.25 mm. Use ASD.

Thickness of gusset plate = 9.5 mm. Fy = 248 MPa

Fw = 0.60(485) Fu = 400 MPa

The connected parts are of A-36 steel and assumed that

the tensile strength of the member is adequate:

a) Determine the strength of the connection per mm

considering the design shear strength of the 6 mm
fillet weld.
b) Determine the base metal shear strength per mm.
c) Determine the available strength of the connection.
Sample Problem No.4
A 100x100x10mm angle is to be welded to a gusset plate. The angle carries a load of 200 kN applied
along its centroidal axis which is 28.7 mm above the short leg as shown in the figure. Use an 8 mm
fillet weld with a minimum tensile strength Fu=483.33 MPa. Fv = 0.30 Fu

a) Determine the length of a transverse fillet weld along the edge of the angle in order to avoid
eccentricity of loading.
b) Determine the length of side fillet weld required at the heel.
c) Determine the length of side fillet weld required at the toe.
Sample Problem No.5
A channel is used as a tension member with the web of the
channel welded to a 9.5 mm thick gusset plate as shown in the
figure. The tension member is subjected to the following axial
loads. Use LRFD
Service dead load = 200 kN Service live load = 260 kN
Wind load = 276 kN
For channel:
Fy = 345 MPa
For gusset plate:
Fy = 248 MPa Fu = 400 MPa

Size of E 70 electrodes = 4 mm
Ultimate tensile strength of E 70 electrodes = 480; Fw = 0.6(480)

a) Determine the design factored tensile force.

b) Determine the length of longitudinal welds "L".
c) Determine the block shear strength of the gusset plate.
Sample Problem No.6
A tension member consists of a double angle
section with long legs back to back. The angles are
attached to a 9.5 mm thick gusset plate. Fu = 400
MPa Fy = 248 MPa for angular section. Fw = 480
MPa for 8 mm fillet weld. Reduction factor U =
0.80

Prop. of One Angle L 125m x 75m x 12.7 m

A= 2419 mm2 y=44.45 mm

a) Compute the design strength capacity of one

angle.
b) Compute the base metal shear strength
(gusset plate) per unit length.
c) Compute the length L1 and L2.
ECCENTRICALLY LOADED WELDED CONNECTIONS
Sample Problem No.7
A plate is attached to the frame of a machine by side fillet welds as shown in
the figure. Determine the size of the welds to resist a vertical load of 150 kN.
Assume that the allowable shearing stress at the throats of the weld is 145
MPa.
Sample Problem No.8
A WT bracket is connected to a wide flange column
with an E. 70 fillet welds as shown in the figure with
Pu = 380 KN acting at an eccentricity of 150 mm.

a) Determine the average vertical force per unit length of

weld.
b) Determine the maximum force to be resisted by the fillet
weld.
c) Determine the size of the fillet weld appropriate to carry
the load.