ANSYS 8.

1
1 14.459
AN SY S 8.1
113.36
212.26
311.16
410.061
508.961
607.862
706.762
805.662
904.563

.494816 212.519 424.543 636.567 848.591

106.507 318.531 530.555 742.579 954.603

International Conference in
Computer Structures Technology
Grand Canaria Spain – September 2006

Finite Element Modelling of Flush End Plate

Connections with High Strength Steel

by
S. Taufik
R.Y. Xiao
Introduction

 Three dimensional finite element methodology

for carry out numerical modelling analysis
 Behaviour of high strength bolted steel beam
connection investigated using ANSYS 8.1
 3D solid elements for all parts of the connection
with mild carbon steel and high strength steel
material properties
 Moment-rotation relationship and connection
behaviour are compared and discussed
 Configuration Modelling

End Interface element

Stiffener
Plate
Pretensio Bolt
n
Bolts load
End-Plate
SOLID45
Column
Flange Beam
Flange
Pretensio
n
load
Stiffener
Beam

Column
 Material properties for FE

Stress
Specimen Steel sy su su/sy
Grade (MPa) (MPa) (MPa)

s 0.2
Column
Column
S275
S355
340
460
520
630
0.654
0.730
Beam S275 360 530 0.679
Bolt 10.1 1010 1108 0.912
End plate S275 380 540 0.704
End plate S550 600 780 0.769
End plate S690 835 905 0.923

0.2% Strain

Multi-linear For high strength steel

stress-strain sy = s0.2
 Validation of FE modelling

180

160

140

120
Moment (kN-m)

100

80 `

60 T2 (Test - Bose 1998)

T2 (FE model)
40 T1 (Test - da Silva 2001)
T1 (FE model)
20

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Rotation f (mrad)
 M-F curve of FEP connection
120

100

80
Moment (kN-m)

60

FEPb (S690-15mm)
40 FEPa (S690-15mm)
FEPb (S550-15mm)
20 FEPa (S550-15mm)

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
rotation f (mrad)

unstiffened column and high strength plate applied

 M-F curve of FEP connection
140

120

100
Moment (kN-m)

80

60
FEPc (S550-12mm)
FEPc (S550-15mm)
40
FEPc* (S690-12mm)
FEPc* (S550-15mm)
20 FEPc* (S690-15mm)
FEPc* (S550-18mm)

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
rotation f (mrad)

*) stiffened column and high strength plate applied

 Design code of end plate

4(0.25t y f y /  M 0 )
2

Ft .Rd  (1)
m
2(0.25t y f y /  M 0 )  nBt .Rd
2

Ft .Rd  (2)
mn

Ft .Rd  Bt .Rd (3)

The smallest value for 3 possible modes of the

yielding is chosen

MRD = Ft.Rd S hi2/hi

 Moment ultimate & failure mode
Column Endplate Mult (FE) Mult (EC3) Failure mode

S275 (a) tep=15mm S275 88.2 MPa 80.2 MPa column flange (2)
S275 (a) tep=15mm S550 97.0 MPa 80.2 MPa column flange (2)
S275 (a) tep=15mm S690 103.8 MPa 80.2 MPa column flange (2)
S275 (b) tep=15mm S550 102.3 MPa 81.7 MPa column flange (2)
S275 (b) tep=15mm S690 106.8 MPa 81.7 MPa column flange (2)
S275 (c) tep=15mm S550 120.0 MPa 93.1 MPa end plate (2)
S355 (c*) tep=15mm S550 127.0 MPa 95.4 MPa end plate (2)
S355 (c*) tep=15mm S690 130.0 MPa 102.7 MPa column flange (2)
S275 (c) tep=12mm S550 107.0 MPa 91.3 MPa end plate (1)
S355 (c*) tep=12mm S690 118.8 MPa 93.0 MPa end plate (2)
S355 (c*) tep=18mm S550 131.5 MPa 102.7 MPa column flange (2)
*) stiffened
column
FE model & deformation shape

ANSYS 8.1
-2.736
-1.249
.237426
1.724
3.211
4.698
6.184
7.671
9.158
10.644
Stress contour of S550 end-plate

1
ANSYS 8.1

.494816 212.519 424.543 636.567 848.591

106.507 318.531 530.555 742.579 954.603
 Column flange & end plate

ANSYS 8.1 ANSYS 8.1

.445135 75.709
57.913 167.804
115.382 259.898
172.85 351.993
230.318 444.088
287.786 536.183
345.254 628.278
402.723 720.373
460.191 812.468
517.659 904.563

S355 (su = 520 MPa) S690 (su = 905 MPa)

 Moment – bolt load

t = 12mm S550 t = 18mm S550

300 300
Row-1 Row-1
250 Row-2 250 Row-2

200 200

Bolt Load (kN)

Bolt Load (kN)

150 150

100 100

50 50

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150
Moment (kNm) Moment (kNm)

Thin end plate Thick end plate

Yield pattern of end plate & column
ANSYS 10.0
.160E-05
.001538
.003074
.00461
.006146
.007682
.009218
.010755
.012291
.013827

high strength
end plate

thin end plate thick end plate

ANSYS 10.0
.239E-03
ANSYS 10.0 .001775 ANSYS 10.0
.160E-05 .003311 .225E-05
.001538 .004846 .002579
.003074 .006382 .005156
.00461 .007918 .007733
.006146 .009454 .01031
.007682 .01099 .012887
.009218 .015464

mild carbon
.012526
.010755 .014061 .018041
.012291 .020618
.013827 .023195

steel column
M-fvs s-e curve for S690 end plate
Strain e (0.001)
0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0
1000
145

800
116
M oment (kN -m)

600

Stress (M Pa)
87

Moment-rotation S690
58 400
Stress-strain S690

29 200

0
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Rotation f (mrad)
M-f vs s-e curve for S550 end plate
Strain e (0.001)
0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0
900
145

720
116
M om ent (kN -m )

S tress (M P a)
87 540

Moment-rotation S550
58 360
Stress-strain S550

29 180

0
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Rotation f (mrad)
 CONCLUSION

 The proposed FE model is well verified against experimental result, with

effect of plate thickness gives significance change of the initial stiffness
 Thick high strength endplate connections provide additional rotational
stiffness and moment capacity but the rotation capacity may be compromised
through bolt failure
 Thin low strength endplates provide enough deformation capacity but
yielding of the endplate may produce excessive deflection. Also the thin
endplate increases the prying forces with an associated increase in bolt
loads. Higher strength end plate may delay the end plate yielding and
excessive deflection.
 The moment capacity prediction of EC3 has been shown to be reasonable.
The nature of the failure mode was predicted reliably for the simple
connections studied.
 The high strength end plate give significant proportion of maximum stress
distribution, whereas the beam and column are kept with mild carbon steel.
 The moment rotation curve is very important parameter to predict the
connection behaviour with high strength steel.