Component method for steel tubular joints. On the way of a full consistent design approach for bolted and welded hollow section joints

Abstract

The European normative document entitled Eurocode 3 Part 1-8 (EN 1993-1-8) provides design rules for structural steel joints. For joints between open sections, reference is made to the concept of the “component method” while it is not the case for joints between tubular sections. Further to recent research works funded by CIDECT (Comité International pour le Développement et l’Etude de la Construction Tubulaire), the concept of the “component method” has been extended to joints in tubular construction. A CEN (European Normalisation Committee) Technical Specification (TS) document complementing Part 1-8 and detailing the application of the component method to tubular construction is nowadays contemplated. As a next step, this change of direction will have to be progressively implemented in practice. This requires, similarly to what has been previously done for open section joints, the development of specific design tools: design tables, simplified design procedures for specific joints, software and worked examples. The conversion of the nowadays existing Part 1-8 formulae into a component format is not an easy task, as it requires a deep physical understanding and mastering of the existing rules and of the “component” philosophy. The conversion has been achieved for some components, but a significant work remains for many other ones. The objective of the Master thesis is to contribute to this work with the objective to provide a consistent background information on the applied “conversion” process and to propose design rules in view of a possibly implementation in the above-mentioned TS.