
November 16, 2018
Tapered Gusset Plates using Custom Angle
Modeling tapered gusset plates in RISAConnection is now easier than ever. With the recent addition of the Custom Angle input, you may now enter an angle to quickly cut back a gusset edge.
When modeling plate elements alongside member elements in RISA, users may notice that member forces—such as bending moments or axial loads—are lower than expected. This behavior is often the result of how loads are shared between plates and members based on their relative stiffness. If the distribution of forces doesn't align with your design expectations, it may be due to unintended interaction between these elements. Accurately capturing structural behavior requires not only the right modeling approach, but also a clear understanding of how plates and members interact within the analysis. In this article, we’ll explore common scenarios where this issue can arise, explain why it happens, and provide practical tips and workarounds to ensure your results match your design intent. Why Model Plate Elements in the First Place? Before diving into the interaction between elements, it’s worth asking: Do I need to model plate elements at all? In many cases, member design and stability can be accurately represented using simplified area or line loads—and plates might not be necessary. However, there are valid reasons to model plates, including: The model is unstable and needs plate elements for diaphragm action. Plates are part of the lateral load path. You want a…
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Modeling tapered gusset plates in RISAConnection is now easier than ever. With the recent addition of the Custom Angle input, you may now enter an angle to quickly cut back a gusset edge.
The base material at the location of a weld may have less strength than the weld itself. In this case it will control the overall strength of the welded connection. In order to account for this, RISAConnection uses a weld strength reduction factor (α) which we call the Base Material Proration...
Wide Flange beam to HSS Tube column moment connections can now be designed in RISAConnection version 9 with both the US and Canadian design standards. HSS tubes may be selected as the supporting column member on either of the two moment connections:
RISAConnection assumes by default that your vertical brace connection is a one-sided connection without any outside influence or load transfer from other connected elements. Using this assumption, the design shear and axial force at the beam to column sub-connection is determined using simple...
Wide Flange Beam to HSS Tube Column Moment Connections can now be designed in RISAConnection version 9. HSS tubes may be selected as the supporting column member on either of the two moment connections:
RISAConnection Version 8.0 now offers Vertical Brace Diagonal Connections, the Vertical Chevron Brace Connection, and the Knee Brace Connection according to the Canadian (CSA S16-09 or CSA S16-14) design codes.
RISAConnection v8 now offers weak axis moment connections with beams framing into the web of a wide flange column. Previously, connections were only permitted to frame into the column flange. This additional feature will allow users to change the orientation of their wide flange column.
Now available in RISAConnection v8: the ability to design a Two-Sided Shear Connection. Building from our existing one-sided shear connection (for column/beam & girder/beam), this connection now offers the user a powerful tool to provide clip angles to both sides of the column or girder web.
You may now design a Brace to Column Base Plate Connection in RISAConnection v8. This connection type combines the original single column base plate with a gusset from a connected vertical brace member. The connection allows tapered or rectangular gussets that frame into either the column flange or...
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