Hollow Section Connection Types inc. Joint Template Library 2024

Can I Bolt to a Hollow Section in MasterSeries?

In MasterSeries' Steel Connections Design, it is possible to model a Hollow Section connected to an I-Section; however, connections from I-Sections onto Hollow Sections 'walls' are not supported.

This limitation arises because the Hollow Section Moment Type connections adhere to the guidelines established in the SCI Green Books for Hollow Splices, which require the use of End Plates.

Read more here: https://www.masterseries.com/blog/masterseries-2023-simple-and-moment-connections-upgrades-and-new-features

Can I have more than 1 row of bolts either side of my Hollow Section?

When designing hollow section end plate connections, particularly splices for rectangular or square hollow sections (RHS/SHS), the MasterSeries module typically indeed allows for a single line of bolts on each face - that is, a single line of bolts on the top face, bottom face, and each of the two side faces. For circular hollow sections (CHS), the bolts are arranged radially around a circular end plate.

Adherence to SCI Green Book Standard Details and Methodologies

The MasterKey: Moment and Simple Connections module, which is part of MasterSeries, is explicitly based on the design methodology employed in the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) Green Book publications, like SCI P358. These Green Books provide "standard details" and recommended design procedures for various steel connections.

For hollow section tension splices, Green Book standard Hollow Splice connections use one vertical line of bolts on the top and bottom faces, and one horizontal line of bolts on each side face, the software implements these established, simplified, and pre-validated configurations.

In summary, the limitation to one line of bolts on each side of a hollow section end plate connection in MasterSeries stems from its foundation in the SCI Green Book's established "standard details" and validated design methodologies. These methods are tailored for efficient design and rely on simplified models and pre-calculated resistances for specific configurations, ensuring predictable structural performance and ease of fabrication.

For more complex or non-standard arrangements that fall outside these guidelines, MasterSeries offers integration with tools like IDEA StatiCa, which allows for more detailed finite element analysis.

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