ULTIMATE STRENGTH OF BOLTED

MOMENT-CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN COLD-FORMED STEEL
MEMBERS
SEMINAR REPORT

Submitted by

BENOY BENJAMIN
(P230049CE)
1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL

Bolted moment-connections between cold-formed steel members can be formed

through brackets, bolted to the webs of the cold-formed steel sections being
connected. Applications of such connections include the eaves and apex joints of
portal frames, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and the beam-to-column joints of
multistorey frames.

Fig. 1 Details of the Arrangement for the Eaves Joint

Fig. 2 Details of the Arrangement for the Apex Joint

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Whilst first thoughts might well be to ensure that the moment-capacity of the
brackets used for such joints be designed to be at least equal to that of the back-
toback channel-sections, this requires that all possible premature modes of failure
be eliminated. Three possible modes of bracket buckling must be considered:

1. Overall lateral-torsional buckling of the eaves joint that occurs when the
brackets and the cold-formed steel-sections bolted to the bracket buckle and
twist laterally out-of-plane. This mode of failure is the result of insufficient
lateral restraint being provided to the joint.
2. Buckling of the stiffened free-edge of the bracket into a one-half sine wave.
Provision of a stiffener along the free-edge will prevent this mode of failure
providing it is stiff enough that it effectively acts as a simply-supported edge
to the bracket.
3. Local plate buckling of the bracket. This requires consideration of the
resistance of the plating to the forces transferred to it by the bolt-group.

None of the three possibilities, however, considers the strength of the cold-formed
steel sections themselves in the immediate vicinity of the joint. Laboratory tests
conducted on an apex joint are reported in which sufficient lateral restraint was
provided to prevent lateral-torsional buckling and the brackets were designed to
prevent both buckling of the stiffened free-edge and local plate buckling. The joints
failed at a moment-capacity below the calculated capacity of the cold formed steel
sections being connected. The mode involved buckling of the web of the channel,
accompanied by sympathetic flange distortion. This form of failure is as shown in
Fig. 3. Although increasing the length of bolt-group will reduce the effect of web
buckling on the ultimate moment-capacity of the connection, longer lengths of bolt-
group will require larger brackets, smaller brackets are more attractive primarily
because they facilitate ease of erection of the joints.

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 Fig. 3 Eaves Joint Failure in Section

1.2 WEB BUCKLING

To illustrate this form of web buckling, Fig. 4 shows details of a typical channel
section and bolt-group used in a cold-formed steel bolted moment-connection. As
can be seen, the bolt-group is of length aB and width bB and is formed from an array
of nine bolts. The length of the bolt-group aB can be varied, while the width of the
bolt-group bB is fixed to suit the depth of the web of the channel-sections. A free
body-diagram of the load applied at the connection to the channel-section is shown
in Fig. 5. Figure 6 shows two channel-sections, each of which uses a different size
of bolt group to form its connection. The channel-section shown in Fig. 6(a) has a
length of bolt-group of the same order of magnitude as the depth of the web. On the
other hand, the channel-section shown in Fig. 6(b) has a length of bolt-group that is
almost three times the depth of the web. If the same bending moment is applied to
both channel-sections, the magnitude of the bolt-forces in the channel-section of
Fig. 6(b) will be smaller than those of Fig. 6(a). Also, as the bolt-group is longer
there will be greater redistribution of stresses to the flanges.

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Fig. 4 Details of Typical Channel-Section and Bolt-Group used in a Cold-Formed
Steel Bolted Moment Connection

Fig. 5 Free Body Diagram of Channel-Section when Joint is in Pure Bending

Fig. 6 Channel-Sections Having Different Bolt-Group Lengths

2. EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

2.1 Test Setup

Four apex joints, designated as Joints A, B, C and D, were tested under pure bending.
The parameters used to define the geometry of the back-to-back apex brackets used

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in each test are shown in Fig. 7. The lip stiffener along the compression edge of the
apex brackets prevents buckling of the free-edge. In all four tests, the mode of
failure was premature web buckling of the channel-sections; no buckling of the apex
brackets was observed. The dimensions of the apex bracket used for each joint are
summarised in Table 1.

Fig. 7. Diagram Showing Parameters of Apex Bracket.

Table 1 Dimension of Apex Brackets Tested

Test Bracket, a b (mm) t (mm) Bolt bB (mm)

(mm) group, aB
(mm)
A 525 340 3.98 315 230
B 600 340 3.98 390 230
C 675 340 3.98 465 230
D 825 340 3.98 615 230

Details of the apex brackets used for Joints A and D are shown in Fig. 8. In each
joint, a different length of bolt-group (and therefore a different size of apex bracket)
was used; all bolt-groups were formed from an array of nine bolts. The nominal
thickness of each bracket was 4 mm and the nominal diameters of the bolts and bolt-
holes were 16 and 18 mm, respectively. The average yield and ultimate strengths of

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the brackets, measured from three tensile coupons taken from each bracket, were
341N/mm2 and 511N/mm2, respectively.

Fig. 8. Details of Apex Bracket.

From three tensile test coupons taken from the channel-sections, the average yield
and ultimate strengths were found to be 358 and 425N/mm2, respectively. Using
these values, and in accordance with BS5950: Part 5, the moment-capacity of the
back-to-back channel sections, MBS, was calculated to be 96.8 kNm. Also, in
accordance with BS5950: Part 5, the maximum unrestrained distance between
points of lateral-torsional restraint that can be used without having to consider
lateral-torsional buckling was calculated to be 1320 mm.

Fig. 9 Photograph of the Laboratory Test set-up of Apex Joint.

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A photograph of the laboratory test arrangement is shown in Fig. 9. As can be seen,
the apex joint was tested horizontally on the laboratory floor. the laboratory floor
thus provide lateral restraint to the pair of I-sections. Friction acting between the
square hollow section and the I-section was minimised by a sheet of P.T.F.E placed
between the I-section and the square hollow section. Similarly, friction acting
between the floor and the I-sections was minimised by the use of gliders.

Fig. 10 Details of Arrangement used to provide Lateral-Torsional Restraint to

Channel-Sections.

Table 2 shows the ratio aB/D and the ultimate moment Mexpu for all four apex joints.
Using the ultimate moment, the ratio Mexpu /MBSu is calculated. It should be recalled
that BS5950: Part 5 takes no account of the effect on the moment-capacity of a
connection as a result of the bolt-forces being concentrated in the webs.

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 Table 2 Experimental Test Results
Test aB aB/D Mexpu Mexpu /MBSu
(mm) (kNm)
A 315 0.94 75.0 0.77
B 390 1.16 77.5 0.81
C 465 1.38 82.5 0.85
D 615 1.83 87.5 0.90

It can be seen from Table 2 that as the value of aB/D increases, the ultimate moment
also increases. For example, Joint A, having a ratio of aB/D of 0.93, failed at a
bending moment 23% less than the moment capacity of the back-to-back channel-
section. On the other hand, Joint D, having a ratio of aB/D of 1.81, failed at a bending
moment only 10% less than the moment capacity of the back-to-back channel-
sections.

Fig. 11. Variation of Load against Deflection of Joints A and D.

Figure 11 shows the variation of moment against apex deflection for Joints A and
D. For the case of Joint A, it can be seen that the gradient of the load-deflection
curve continues to increase until the load applied is approximately 5 kN. This
gradual increase in the gradient of the load-deflection curve can be explained by the
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lack of perfect alignment of the bolt-holes in the channel-sections and brackets. For
the case of the Joint D, the lack of alignment is not as noticeable. The sudden loss
of load for Joint A at a bending moment of 40 kNm was due to slack in the loading
rods not being removed. Inspection of the joint revealed no noticeable buckling of
the channel-sections and so the joint was reloaded.

Fig. 12. Joint A at ultimate load.

After the ultimate load of the joints was reached, no further load was applied. Figure
12(a) shows a photograph taken at failure of a Joint A; premature buckling in the
web of the channel-sections can be seen. After removal of the bolts, the channel
sections and the brackets were separated; Fig. 12(b) shows a photograph of one of
the channel-sections of Joint A.

Fig. 13. Separated channel-sections of eaves joint test.

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In similar tests conducted on the eaves joint, load to increase the deformations in
the channel-section was applied. Figure 13 shows a photograph of the channel-
sections taken after removal of the bolts and separation from the brackets. It can be
seen that the compression flanges of the channel-sections have buckled. Inspection
of the channel-sections showed that the magnitude of the deformations in the
compression flanges was substantially higher than the deformations in the web.

The deformed shape shown in Fig. 13 is still consistent with premature web buckling
initiating failure. This is because it is the transverse bending stiffness of the sections
that provides restraint against buckling of the compression flanges; premature web
buckling reduces the transverse bending stiffness of the section resulting in buckling
of the compression flanges.

3. CONCLUSIONS

A laboratory test have been used to study a mode of failure for cold-formed steel
bolted moment-connections involving failure within the adjacent members by
buckling that is principally dependent on the length of its bolt-group. It was
observed that as the value of aB/D increases, the ultimate moment also increases. At
joint A premature buckling in the web of the channel-sections can be seen after the
removal of load.

REFERENCES
1. J.B.P. Lim, D.A. Nethercot, Ultimate strength of bolted moment-connections
between cold-formed steel members, Thin-Walled Struct. 41 (11) (2003) 1019–
1039.
2. J.B.P. Lim, G. J. Hancock, G. Charles Clifton, Cao Hung Pham, Raj Das, DSM
for ultimate strength of bolted moment-connections between
cold-formed steel channel members, Journal of Constructional Steel Research
117 (2016) 196–203

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