IIC-47

Example II.C-5 HSS Chevron Brace Connection

Given:

Check the HSS braces for tension and compression and design the connection including
welding, shear lag requirements and check to see if stiffening is required.

Use E70 electrodes.

Material Properties:

Beam W1835 ASTM A992 Fy = 50 ksi Fu = 65 ksi Manual

Brace HSS662 ASTM A500 Gr.B Fy = 46 ksi Fu = 58 ksi Tables 2-3
Gusset Plate ASTM A36 Fy = 36 ksi Fu = 58 ksi and 2-4

Geometric Properties:
Manual
Beam W1835 d = 17.7 in. tw = 0.300 in. kdes = 0.827 in. Tables 1-1
Brace HSS662 H = 6.00 in. B = 6.00 in. A = 9.74 in.2 t = 0.465 in. and 1-12

Solution:

Determine the required brace to gusset weld size.

LRFD ASD
Ru Ra Manual
Dreq  Dreq  Part 8
1.392l 0.928l
158 kips 105 kips
 
1.392(4)(6.00 in.) 0.928(4)(6.00 in.)
 4.73 sixteenths  4.71 sixteenths

Increase the weld size by z in. to account Increase the weld size by z in. to account
 IIC-48

LRFD ASD
for slot in the HSS for the slot in the HSS

Dreq = 4.73 sixteenths + 1.00 sixteenths Dreq = 4.71 sixteenths + 1.00 sixteenth
= 5.73 sixteenths = 5.71 sixteenths
Manual
The minimum weld size for this connection is x in. Table J2.4

Use a in. fillet welds

Determine the minimum gusset plate thickness to match the required shear rupture strength of
the fillet welds.

6.19 D 6.19(4.73 sixteenths) Manual

tmin    0.505 in. Part 9
Fu 58 ksi

Try a s in. thick gusset plate.

Determine the minimum HSS brace thickness to match the required shear rupture strength of
the fillet welds.

3.09 D 3.09(4.73 sixteenths)

tmin    0.252 in. < 2 in. o.k.
Fu 58 ksi

Check gusset plate buckling (compression brace)

tp 0.625 in.
r   0.180 in.
12 12

From the figure, the distance l1 = 6.50 in.

Since the gusset is attached by one edge only, the buckling mode could be a sidesway type as
shown in Commentary Table C-C2.2. In this case, use K = 1.2.

Kl1 1.2  6.50 in. 

  43.3
r 0.180 in.

E 29,000 ksi
Limiting slenderness ratio 4.71  4.71  134 > 43.3
Fy 36 ksi

2 E 2  29,000 ksi 
Fe    153 ksi Eqn. E3-4
 43.3
2 2
 Kl1 
 r 
 

 Fy
  36 ksi

Fcr  0.658 Fe  Fy  0.658153 ksi   36 ksi   32.6 ksi
    Eqn. E3-2

lw  B  2 (connection length) tan 30  6.00 in.  2  6.00 in.  tan 30  12.9 in.

Note: Here, the Whitmore section is assumed to be entirely in the gusset. The Whitmore
 IIC-49

section can spread across the joint into adjacent connected material of equal or greater
thickness or adjacent connected material of lesser thickness provided that a rational analysis is
performed.

Aw  lwt p  12.9 in.  0.625 in.   8.06 in.2

Eqn. E3-1

 
Pn  Fcr Aw   32.6 ksi  8.06 in.2  263 kips

LRFD ASD
263 kips
Pn /    157 kips
Pn  0.90  263 kips   237 kips 1.67

237 kips > 158 kips o.k. 157 kips > 105 kips o.k.

Check tension yielding of gusset plate (tension brace)

From above, Aw = 8.06 in.2

 
Rn  Fy Aw   36 ksi  8.06 in.2  290 kips Eqn. J4-1

LRFD ASD
290 kips
Rn /    174 kips
Rn  0.90  290 kips   261 kips 1.67

261 kips > 158 kips o.k. 174 kips > 105 kips o.k.

Check the available tensile yield strength of the HSS brace

Rn  Fy Ag  (46 ksi)(9.74 in.2 )  448 kips Eqn. J4-1

LRFD ASD
Rn  0.9(448 kips) = 403 kips > 158 kips o.k. Rn (448 kips)
  268 kips > 105 kips o.k.
 1.67

Check the available tensile rupture strength of the HSS brace

B 2  2 BH  6.00 in.   2  6.00 in.  6.00 in. 

2 Table D3.1
x   2.25 in. Case 6
4 B  H  4  6.00 in.+6.00 in. 

x 2.25 in.
U  1  1  0.625
Lw 6.00 in.

Allowing for a z in. gap in fit-up between the HSS and the gusset plate,

An  Ag  2  t p  116 in.  t  9.74 in.2  2  0.625 in.+ 116 in.  0.465 in.   9.10 in.2

 
Ae  UAn  0.625 9.10 in.2  5.69 in.2
Eqn. D3-1

 
Rn  Fu Ae   58 ksi  5.69 in.2  330 kips
Eqn. J4-2
 IIC-50

LRFD ASD
Rn  0.75  330 kips   248 kips 330 kips
Rn /    165 kips
2.00
248 kips > 158 kips o.k.
165 kips > 105 kips o.k.

Calculate interface forces

Design the gusset-to-beam connection as if each brace were the only brace and locate each
brace’s connection centroid at the ideal centroid locations to avoid inducing a moment on the
gusset-beam interface, similarly to uniform force method special case 3.

d 17.7 in.
eb    8.85 in.
2 2

 12 
  tan 1    48.0
 10 1316 

Let     eb tan    8.85 in.  tan 48.0  9.83 in.  Use 10.0 in.

  ec  0

   ec     eb  10.0 in.  0    0  8.85 in.

2 2 2 2
r   13.4 in.

LRFD ASD

H ub 
Pu

10.0 in.158 kips   118 kips H ab 
Pa

10.0 in.105 kips   78.4 kips
r 13.4 in. r 13.4 in.

eb Pu  8.85 in. 158 kips 

Vub    104 kips eb Pa  8.85 in. 105 kips 
r 13.4 in. Vab    69.3 kips
r 13.4 in.

Determine required gusset-to-beam weld size

The weld length is twice the horizontal distance from the work point to the centroid of the
gusset-to-beam connection, , for each brace. Therefore, l  2  2 10.0 in.   20.0 in.

Since the gusset straddles the work line of each brace, the weld is uniformly loaded. Therefore,
Manual
the available strength is the average required strength and the fillet weld should be designed
Part 13
for 1.25 times the average strength.

LRFD ASD
1.25Pu 1.25 158 kips  1.25Pa 1.25 105 kips 
Dreq ' d    3.55 Dreq ' d    3.54
1.392l 1.392  20.0 in.  2  0.928l 0.928  20.0 in.  2 

The minimum fillet weld size is 4 in. The required weld size is also 4 in., use a 4 in. fillet
weld 40 in. long on each side of the gusset plate. Table J2.4
 IIC-51

Check gusset thickness (against weld size required for strength)

Manual
6.19 D 6.19  3.55 sixteenths  Part 9
tmin    0.379 in. < s in. o.k.
Fu 58 ksi

Check local web yielding of the beam

Rn   N  5k  Fy tw   20.0 in.  5  0.827 in.    50 ksi  0.300 in.   362 kips Eqn. J10-2

LRFD ASD
Ru  158 kips(cos 48.0)  106 kips Ra  105 kips(cos 48.0)  70.3 kips

  1.00   1.50
Rn  1.00  362 kips   362 kips Rn /  
362 kips
 241 kips
1.50
362 kips > 106 kips o.k.
241 kips > 70.3 kips o.k.

Check web crippling

 1.5

 2  N   tw   EFy wt f Eqn. J10-4
Rn  0.80tw 1  3    
  d   t f   tw
 
2   20.0 in.   0.300 in.  
 0.80  0.300 in.  1  3 
1.5
 29,000 ksi  50 ksi  0.425 in.
  
  17.7 in.   0.425 in.    0.300 in. 
 311 kips

LRFD ASD
  0.75   2.00
Rn  0.75(311 kips) = 233 kips Rn 311 kips
 = 156 kips
 2.00
233 kips > 106 kips o.k.
156 kips > 70.3 kips o.k.