Steel structure

Tension Members
 Steel structure
This lecture will cover

1. Introduction

2. Net Area

3. Effective Net Area

4. Design Strength in Tension

5. Block Shear Strength

6. Example problems.
 Steel structure
This lecture will cover

1. Introduction
 Steel structure
Introduction

Sections for Tension Members

• Tension members are structural elements that are subjected to axial tensile
forces.

• They are used in various types of structures and include truss members,
bracing for buildings and bridges, cables in suspended roof systems, and
cables in suspension and cable-stayed bridges.

• Any cross-sectional configuration may be used, because for any given

material, the only determinant of the strength of a tension member is the cross-
sectional area.

• Circular rods and rolled angle shapes are frequently used.

 Steel structure
This lecture will cover

1. Introduction

Sections for Tension Members

• Built-up shapes, either from plates, rolled shapes, or a combination of plates

and rolled shapes, are sometimes uses when large loads must be resisted.

• The most common built-up configuration is probably the double-angle section

along with other typical cross sections.

• Because the use of this section is so widespread, tables of properties of

various combinations of angles are included in the AISC Steel Construction
Manual.
 Steel structure
This lecture will cover

1. Introduction

Sections for Tension Members

 Steel structure
This lecture will cover

1. Introduction

Sections for Tension Members

 Steel structure
This lecture will cover

1. Introduction

Slenderness Limitations
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2. Net Area
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Net Area

Gross Area
The unreduced area of the member is called its gross area = Ag
Example: Area of bar at section a – a = 8 x ½ = 4 in2
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Net Area

Net area
The reduced area of the member is called its net area = An
Example: Area of bar at section b – b = (8 – 2 x (7/8+1/16) ) x ½ = 3.0 in 2
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Net Area

Stress Concentration
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Net Area

Stress Concentration
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Net Area

Holes in Line

Tension member with in-line fasteners

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Net Area

Holes in Line

• The net area of a tension member with fasteners that are in line (see Figure
above ) is the difference between the gross cross-sectional area and the area of
the bolt holes:
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Net Area
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Net Area

Holes in Line

Section B3.13 of the AISC specification indicates that when calculating the net
area for shear and tension, an additional 1⁄16 in. should be added to the hole
size to account for the roughened edges that result from the punching or
drilling process.

For standard holes, the hole size used for strength calculations would be the
value from the AISCM, Table J3.3, which is the nominal hole dimension plus 1⁄16
in. Since the nominal hole size is 1⁄16 in. larger than the fastener for standard
(STD) holes, the actual hole size used in the design calculations will be 1⁄16 in.+
1⁄16 in. = 1⁄8 in. for most bolted connections in tension.
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Net Area

Holes in Line
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Net Area

Example
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Net Area

Staggered Holes

Tension member with diagonal fasteners

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Net Area

Staggered Holes

For tension members with a series of holes in a diagonal or zigzag pattern,

which might be used when bolt spacing is limited there may exist several
possible planes of failure that need to be investigated.

• When the failure plane crosses straight through a line of bolts (line ABDE in
Figure above), then the net area is as noted previously.

• For a failure plane where one or more of the failure planes is at an angle (line
ABCE in Figure above), the last term is added for each diagonal portion:

s = Longitudinal center-to-center spacing or pitch between two consecutive

holes, and
g = Transverse center-to-center spacing or gage between two consecutive holes.
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Net Area

Staggered Holes
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Net Area

Staggered Holes
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Net Area

Angles
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Net Area

Angles
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Net Area

Angles
Example
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Net Area

Angles
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Net Area

Welded Connection

• The net area is equal to the gross area since there are no holes.
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3. Effective Net Area

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Effective Net Area

• The connection has a significant influence on the performance of a tension

member.

• A connection almost always weakens the member and a measure of its

influence is called joint efficiency.

• This factor is a function of the ductility of the material, fastener spacing,

stress concentrations at holes, fabrication procedure, and a phenomenon
known as shear lag.

• All contribute to reducing the effectiveness of the member, but shear lag is
the most important.

Figure 3.6.
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Effective Net Area

Shear Lag

• Shear lag occurs when some elements of the cross section are not connected,
as when only one leg of an angle is bolted to a gusset plate, as shown in Figure
3.6.

• The consequence of this partial connection is that the connected element

becomes overloaded and the unconnected part is not fully stressed.

• Lengthening the connected region will reduce this effect.

• Research reported by Munse and Chesson (1963) suggests that shear lag be
accounted for by using a reduced, or effective, net area.

• Because shear lag affects both bolted and welded connections, the effective
net area concept applies to both types of connections.
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Effective Net Area

In summery
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Effective Net Area

Shear Lag
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Effective Net Area

Shear Lag
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Effective Net Area

Shear Lag

• Stress distribution around the holes is non uniform.

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Effective Net Area

For bolted connection, the effective net area is Ae = U An

For welded connection, the effective net area is Ae = U Ag

U : Shear lag factor

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Effective Net Area

Case 01
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Effective Net Area

Case 01
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Effective Net Area

Case 02
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Effective Net Area

Case 02
The eccentricity is determined as shown in figure
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Effective Net Area

Case 02
Length of the connection.
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Effective Net Area

Case 02
Length of the connection.
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Effective Net Area

Case 03
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Effective Net Area

Case 03

For the transverse welded connection shown in Figure a, all of the net area
participates in transmitting the load and the shear lag factor is U = 1.0.

• Here Ae = An = Ag
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Effective Net Area

Case 03

If only transverse weld is used , the area of only the connected leg should be
considered.
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Effective Net Area

Case 04
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Effective Net Area

Alternate to Case 02
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Effective Net Area

Example 01
Determine the effective net area for the tension member shown in Figure.
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Effective Net Area

Example 01
Determine the effective net area for the tension member shown in Figure.

Only one element (one leg) of the cross section is connected, so the net area
must be reduced.

From the properties tables in Part 1 of the Manual, the distance from the
centroid to the outside face of the leg of an L6 × 6 × 1⁄2 is
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Effective Net Area

Example 01
Determine the effective net area for the tension member shown in Figure.

The alternative value of U could also be used. Because this angle has three bolts
in the direction of the load, the reduction factor U can be taken as 0.60, and
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Effective Net Area

Example 01

• Either U value is acceptable, and the Specification permits the larger one to be
used.

• However, the value obtained from Equation is more accurate.

• The alternative values of U can be useful during preliminary design, when

actual section properties and connection details are not known..
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Effective Net Area

Example 02

For the welded tension member shown in Figure, determine the shear lag factor,
U; the net area, An; and the effective area, Ae.
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Effective Net Area

Example 02

• From the section property tables in part 1 of the AISCM, we find that for an L5
x 5 x 3⁄8,
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4. Design Strength in Tension
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4. Design Strength in Tension

• A tension member can fail by reaching one of two limit states:

1. Excessive deformation due to Yielding

• Excessive deformation can occur due to the yielding of the gross section at
section a-a

2. Fracture at the Net Area

• Fracture of the net section can occur if the stress at the net section (section b-
b) reaches the ultimate stress Fu
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4. Design Strength in Tension

Tensile Yielding
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4. Design Strength in Tension

Tensile Rupture
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4. Design Strength in Tension

Yielding vs Rupture
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4. Design Strength in Tension

Yielding vs Rupture
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5. Block Shear Strength
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Block Shear Strength

A failure in which the member fails in tension on one section and in shear on
the perpendicular section.

Block shear is a combined tensile/shear tearing out of an entire section of a

connection.
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Block Shear Strength
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Block Shear Strength

Failure Planes
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Block Shear Strength

Failure Planes
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Block Shear Strength

AISC Equation J4-5

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Block Shear Strength

AISC Equation J4-5

• The Ubs term in equation (4-11) is a reduction factor that accounts for a non
uniform stress distribution.

• Section C-J4.3 of the AISCM gives examples of connections with uniform and
non uniform tension stress distribution, but the most common case is to have a
uniform stress distribution and, therefore, Ubs 1.0 for most cases.

• For LRFD, the resistance factor φ is 0.75, and for ASD, the safety factor Ω is
2.00.

• Recall that these are the factors used for the fracture—or rupture—limit state,
and block shear is a rupture limit state.

• Although AISC Equation J4-5 is expressed in terms of bolted connections,

block shear can also occur in welded connections, especially in gusset plates.
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6. Example problems.
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Example problems
Example 01
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Example problems
Example 01
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Example problems
Example 01
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Example problems
Example 02
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Example problems
Example 02
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Example problems
Example 02
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Example problems
Example 03
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Example problems
Example 03
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Example problems
Example 03
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Example problems
Example 03
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Example problems
Example 03
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Example problems

Example 04

For the connection shown in Example 4-4, determine if the channel and gusset
plate are adequate for the applied tension load considering block shear.
Assume that the width of the plate is such that block shear along the failure
plane shown in Figure 4-12 controls the design of the plate.
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Example problems

Example 04
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Example problems

Example 04
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Example problems

Example 04
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Example problems

Example 04

The smaller value controls, so the available strength of the channel in block
shear is 70.3 kips, which is less than the applied load of Pu = 75 kips, so the
channel is not adequate in block shear.
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Example problems

Example 05
• A tension member with a length of 5 feet 9 inches must resist a service dead
load of 18 kips and a service live load of 52 kips. Select a member with a
rectangular cross section. Use A36 steel and assume a connected with one line
of 7⁄8-inch-diameter bolts.
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Example problems

Example 05
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Example problems

Example 06
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Example problems

Example 06
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Example problems

Example 06
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Example problems

Example 06
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Example problems

Example 06