Eliminating the Author
Martin Hursey is structural staff en- One of the elements that can ex-
Guesswork in gineer for the Pulp and Paper
Connection Design Division of CRS Sirrine Engineers,
Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina,
- The Role of the where he is responsible for the ap-
proval of all structural steel design
Design Engineer in the division. During his 28 years
with Sirrine Mr. Hursey has been
involved in the design and checking
of structures and their connections,
in addition to developing design
aids and procedures. He is respon-
sible for: purchasing steel, check-
ing shop drawings, fabricator's
connection design and expediting
of fabricator's detailing.
Mr. Hursey attended Clemson
University and is a registered
professional engineer.
Martin Hursey
12-1
2003 by American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. All rights reserved.
This publication or any part thereof must not be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher.
Summary
pedite connection design and
detailing is for the fabricator to have
all the information needed to com-
plete the task. Design engineers
generate the information needed
by the fabricator and can provide
the information with their design if
a systematic approach is used.
This paper recognizes what is
needed and presents a method for
the building design engineer to
communicate to the fabricator
design forces that were initially
overlooked and difficult to retrieve
when needed by the fabricator.
 ELIMINATING THE GUESSWORK IN CONNECTION DESIGN
THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN ENGINEER

M. E. Hursey, P.E
Staff Engineer
CRSS Sirrine Engineers, Inc.
Greenville, SC

INTRODUCTION

For years fabricators' engineers have labored over which of the axial forces shown on
design drawings are transferred through the connection. If the design engineer directs
the fabricator to design for the larger forces shown, who then should pay for the costs of
these over-designed connections? When using this philosophy the connection will
sometimes be under-designed, as shown later in this paper. If the design engineer does
respond with the actual force to be used, it is usually after a time-consuming search. It
is less costly for the designer to recognize the force during design and to note it on the
drawings.

When the building design is electronically transferred from the design engineer to the
fabricator, the program should be written to recognize this phenomenon.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the building joints that need clarification and a
method of indicating the actual forces for which the connections must be designed.

FIGURE 1

Plan Trusses Intersecting At The Building's Corner

Figure 1A, indicates a plan truss with south to north forces. The end diagonal is the
same for the truss in Figure 1B, with east to west forces. The reaction for the truss in
Figure 1B, is shown in Section A-A, where it is integrated into the vertical bracing
system at Elevation E. Preferably the truss diagonal and chord forces should be
indicated in plan and the truss reaction shown in elevation. Combining the two trusses
and indicating the larger member force as it would be on the design drawing, Figure 1C,
results in joints that cannot be balanced without knowing all the forces. Therefore, the
actual axial force to be incorporated into the connection design should be indicated as a
transfer force (TF). It need only point to the end of one of the two members on
opposite sides of the supporting column or beam so as not to clutter the drawing.

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2003 by American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Looking at Figure 1D, it is clear why the connection of beams on line A at column 2,
would be designed for the plan transfer force of 40 kips compression if that was the only
force to consider. However, the 60 kips compression transfer force shown in Section A-
A, governs. Conversely the plan force of 70 kips compression governs at column A-3.

FIGURE 2

Building With Only Three Sides Braced

This is a simple illustration of how confusing the forces can become at a joint when they
are introduced from four directions and the structure is braced on only three sides,
Figure 2A. The combination of forces and of those combined at Column J-6 is shown in
Figure 2B.
FIGURE 3

Transferring Concrete Diaphragm Forces To The Support Steel

When concrete forms are placed under the top beam flange all the beams together are
used to transfer the diaphragm forces to the steel. However, when form-deck is used the
method of transferring the forces from concrete to steel can be done in many different
ways. Figure 3A uses the concrete compressing on the columns, and Figure 3B uses
studs to make the transfer. Whichever avenue the design engineer chooses to transfer
diaphragm forces to the steel, it should be made clear with member forces and
connection transfer forces.

The transfer forces in Figure 3A are different on opposite sides of the column. Most are
the same on both sides of a support element (Figures 1C, 2B, and 3B). Additionally,
column web shear, yielding, crippling, and buckling at line 10 must be checked in Figure
3A, if the web is in the plane of the paper. The same column web may have to be
stiffened if the web is perpendicular to the paper's plane as shown.

FIGURE 4

Transferring Bracing Forces To Base Plates

The fabricator would not have difficulty in determining that 180 kips divided by four
column bases will result in each having 45 kips of shear. However, in more complicated
bracing schemes it is reassuring to know that the math is confirmed by the transfer
forces. Figure 4D indicates one method of utilizing the transfer force to determine the
weld needed from gusset to base plate.

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2003 by American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. All rights reserved.
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FIGURE 5

Truss Connections with End Moments And Transfer Forces

These connections could be under-designed if the fabricator is directed to connect for

the maximum member forces shown because the moments and axial forces don't always
act simultaneously. These fixed end trusses may experience higher bolt tension due to
wind or seismic without the live load present. Using transfer forces in this case is not
the answer. These type of connections are best designed by the building design engineer
who has access to all of the loading combinations. If the fabricator is to design these
connections, the complete joint analysis must be made available in order for fabricators
to determine which combinations must be used.

Also note that a heavier column section can be spliced-in at the top replacing the
original column section, if found to be less expensive than adding needed reinforcing.

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 SOUTH TO NORTH FORCES

PARTIAL PLAN @ ELEVATION "E"

SECTION "A-A"

FIGURE 1A

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 EAST TO WEST FORCES

PARTIAL PLAN @ ELEVATION "E"

SECTION "A-A"

FIGURE 1B

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 COMBINED FORCES
PARTIAL PLAN @ ELEVATION "E"

SECTION "A-A"

FIGURE 1C

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 COLUMN A-2

FIGURE 1D

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 FIGURE 2A

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 EAST TO WEST FORCES WEST TO EAST FORCES

NORTH TO SOUTH FORCES SOUTH TO NORTH FORCES

COMBINED FORCES
COLUMN J-6

FIGURE 2B

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 RIGHT TO LEFT FORCES
FIGURE 3A

RIGHT TO LEFT FORCES

FIGURE 3B

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 LEFT TO RIGHT FORCES
FIGURE 4A

RIGHT TO LEFT FORCES

FIGURE 4B

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 COMBINED FORCES
FIGURE 4C

FIGURE 4D

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 FIGURE 5

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This publication or any part thereof must not be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher.