EFFECT OF CONNECTION ECCENTRICITY IN THE BEHAVIOUR OF STEEL TENSION MEMBERS

Concrete and steel are often used in civil engineering structures. An integral part of some buildings are lateral bracing and truss members, which are frequently subjected to tension loads. Lateral bracing is generally designed using single angles, double angles or T sections connected with high strength bolts. When angles are used as tension members, the most widely used arrangements are as single angles or as a pair of angles symmetrically placed about a gusset plate that passes between them. However, often the location of the bolt gauge line will not coincide with the centroidal axis of the member. Since the axial force in the main portion of the member (assumed to act through the centre of gravity of the cross section) is eccentric, with respect to the connected ends, bending can also be present. But this bending effect due to connection eccentricity is not considered in current design specifications for statically loaded tension members.