19/03/2024

DESIGN OF TENSION MEMBERS

Rachel June D. Samarita, MEng, MPICE, MASEP

Instructor, DCE-CEIT-CvSU

OUTLINE
• Types of tension members
• Limit states for design
• Net areas
• Staggered holes
• Effective net area and shear lag
• Block Shear

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TYPES OF TENSION MEMBERS

• Typical tension members in buildings
• Truss diagonals
• Columns in uplift
• Bracing members
• Suspension cables

• Typical shapes used for tension members

LIMIT STATES DESIGN

• Two key limit states
– Yielding in the gross section
– Rupture (Fracture) in the net section where holes
exist

Pu

“gross section” “net section”

Reduced area at
bolt holes

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LIMIT STATES DESIGN

LIMIT STATES DESIGN

• Yielding of the “gross” section
– Nominal strength = Pn = FyAg
– Ultimate strength = Pu = tPn
– Pu=tFyAg with t=0.9
Where:
Fy = yield strength
Ag = gross area
Pu

Yield in this entire area causes excessive elongation

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LIMIT STATES DESIGN

• Fracture in the “net” section
– May control if bolt holes are large
– Pn=FuAe
– Pu= tFuAe witht=0.75
Where:
Fu = ultimate strength
Ae = effective net area

Tension

Fracture in reduced section

NET AREAS
• Gross cross section area minus any holes, notches, or other
indentations
• Standard Bolt holes punched 2-3mm larger than actual bolt
to allow for insertion, also add 2mm additional size for
damage around hole from punching diameter

20mm bolt (typ)

200mm

10mm
Plate (typ)

Net area = An = (10)*(200) – 2*(22 + 2)*(10) = 1520mm2

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NET AREAS

EFFECT OF STAGGERED HOLES

• Holes are often staggered to increase net area
B E D

C
g
B
A
A s

Failure planes: Failure planes:

AB ABE An = Ag – 1 hole
ABCD An = ???

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EFFECT OF STAGGERED HOLES

• NSCP 504.3.2

EFFECT OF STAGGERED HOLES

• Actual area stressed is combination of tension and
shear between holes
• Use empirical formula to estimate net area in
tension for staggered holes

An = Ag – ΣAhole + Σ s2/4g
Pu C Add (s2/4g) for each diagonal
g
B line in the failure section
A
s

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EFFECT OF STAGGERED HOLES

• Example Determine the net area:
20mm bolts dhole = (20 + 2 + 2) = 24mm
A

B 50mm ABCD = 250-2*(24) = 202mm

75mm
ABCEF = 250-3*(24) + (752/(4*75))
C 75mm = 196.75mm
E
ABEF = 250 –2*(24) + (752/(4*150))
D F 50mm
= 211.375mm
75mm
So An = (196.75)*(50) = 9837.50mm2
50mm plate

EFFECTIVE NET AREA

• Entire net area may not be engaged if tensile stress
cannot be uniformly transferred between members

Pu
Pu

“shear lag” transition region,

area is not 100% effective in
transfer of tensile stresses
EN138
Fall 2002

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EFFECTIVE NET AREA

• Use a reduction factor U to account for non-
uniform stress distribution in shear lag region
Ae = AU
Where: A = net or gross area
U = shear lag factor (for bolted or welded
L’ connection)
P

U factor effectively
L reduces the length L of
a connection to L’

EFFECTIVE NET AREA

• For bolted members: NSCP Table 504.3.1.pdf

U = 1- x/L
L’
Pu
x

Centroid of beam
Centroid of “Tee”
Centroid of lower “Tee”
x
x

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BLOCK SHEAR
• Tension on one plane and shear on perpendicular
plane can cause a “block” of steel to tear out
Shear plane

Shaded area
can tear out Tension plane
in “block shear”
Shear plane Tension plane

BLOCK SHEAR
• AISC Specification J5.2 for Block Shear:
• Total Block Shear Resistance = shear resistance
on shear-failure path + tensile resistance on
perpendicular path
– Use the ultimate strength in shear (or tension) on the
net section
– Use the yield strength in tension (or shear) on the gross
section of the perpendicular section
Shear plane

Tension plane

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BLOCK SHEAR

 Rn  0.75(0.6FuAnv+UbsFuAnt ≤ 0.6Fy Agv+UbsFuAnt)

where:
Ubs  1.0 (uniform stress); 0.50 (non-uniform stress)
Agv  gross area in shear
Anv  net area in shear
Ant  net area in tension

BLOCK SHEAR

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BLOCK SHEAR EXAMPLE

20mm bolts 12mm plates

175

75 Standard holes
40 40

Determine the ultimate block shear strength

of the connected plates (assume A36 steel)

QUESTIONS ???

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THE END
THANK YOU !!!

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