Experimental and Numerical Case Studies about Two-Dimensional CHS Joints with a Symmetrical Y-Shape.

Area of Science:

• Structural Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Steel hollow section joints are critical in offshore structures, halls, and trusses.
• Existing standards have limitations for specific joint geometries and load cases, particularly for full-overlapped Y-joints with on-top connections.
• Design engineers often lack established guidelines for these undefined joint types, necessitating custom modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the resistance of undefined full-overlapped Y-joints with on-top connections.
• To analyze the influence of the inclination angle between connected pipes on joint performance.
• To provide design engineers with data for economic optimization of structures using these joints.

Main Methods:

• Experimental analysis of steel hollow section joints.
• Numerical simulations to model joint behavior.
• Evaluation of varying inclination angles between pipes.
• Focus on two distinct circular profile types.

Main Results:

• A non-linear decrease in total applicable force was observed with an increasing inclination angle.
• Steeper inclination angles led to more economical structural designs.
• Increasing the profile thickness from 2.0 mm to 2.8 mm enhanced the maximum applicable force by up to 47%.

Conclusions:

• The inclination angle significantly impacts the resistance of steel hollow section joints.
• Optimizing the inclination angle allows for both economic design and increased structural load capacity.
• Thicker steel profiles provide greater resistance, offering a quantifiable improvement in performance.