9-5 ORIENTATION OF WELDS

Laboratory test on small to medium-size joint show that butt welds do not limit
joint capacity where the electrode has been matched to the base metal. The
orientation of the applied stresses does not have a significant effect on the butt
joint strength.
The orientation of stresses for fillet welds is a significant factor in the ultimate
joint strength. Tests (see Butler and Kulak, :Strength of Fillet Welds as a Function
of Direction of Load, Welding Journal, May 1971) on a number of joints using
fillet welds show that welds loaded perpendicular to the weld axis are
approximately 44 percent stronger than fillet welds loaded parallel to the weld
axis. This strength increase can be attributed to development of shear lag in the
longitudinally loaded welds with resultant larger weld deformations
(deformation being a preferred term to yielding for fillet welds) in the
connection nearest the load. This increase in weld strength is not directly
consider in design specifications because the direction of load is not sufficiently
reliable. It is indirectly considered by AISC (Sec. 1-17.7) in limiting the
longitudinal weld length for flat bars. It is also indirectly considered in lap joints
by requiring fillet welds along both bar ends (AISC Sec 1-17.9).

9-6 WELDED CONNECTIONS

Welded connections are often easier to fabricate than the bolted connections.
However, in framed connections the joint will usually require erection bolts in
either temporary (or permanent) erection plates or angles to hold the parts
during alignment and fitting up for the welding.
In general, welded connection design involves proportioning the parts based on
a gross section and welds. Butt welds are generally designed for the tension (or
compression) strength of the base metal. Fillet and other welds in shear are
designed on the basis of the minimum dimensions in the shear plane and the
allowable shear strength of the weld.
It should be noted that a butt weld used to resist a moment develops stresses
Mc
f b=
I

where f b is compared to the allowable bending stress of the base metal.

If a fillet weld is used in the same type of connection (see Fig. 9-8), the value of
f b is compared to the allowable weld shear stress.

Erection bolt
Erection plate
Example 9-1 Design the welds for the lap joint shown in Fig. E9-1a using a flat
bar and E60 electrodes, F y = 250 Mpa, and the AISC specifications.

Figure E9-1a
SOLUTION
Joint efficiency = 100 percent

P= 0.015 (150) (0.6 Fy ) = 337.5 kN

Use D = 15-2.0 = 13mm

Fw = 0.3 (415) = 124.5 Mpa

337.5
Lw eld = = 295 mm < 300 mm (2 w) O.K.
( 0.013 0.70711 ) (124.5)

Use a 150-mm weld on each side of joint as shown in Fig. E9- 1b (just satisfies
AISC Sec. 1- 17.4). Use 26-mm end returns per AISC Sec. 1-17.7.

Figure E9-1b
Question: Why not 150 mm of end weld and 75 mm along each side?

1 1 3
Example 9-2 Design the welds for connecting an L4 3 2 4 to a 8

in gusset plate as shown in Fig. E9- 2a. Use the AISC specifications, E70
electrodes, and A-36 steel. Design for static loading and dynamic loading.

Figure E9 2a
SOLUTION For static loading

A angle =1.81 2

P = 1.81 (22) = 39.8 kips

 3
Use D = 16 in

F v =0.3 70=21 ksi

Compare the capacity of the weld and angle.

0.70711 D (0.3 Fu ) t a (0.4 Fy )

0.25(0.4 36) 3.6

D =
0.70711 21 14.84

3.9
0.242 ( )
16

3
Use D = 16 in

39.8
Lw = Lw =14.5 in
( 0.70711 0.1875 ) (21) = 14.3 in use

Use the weld shown in Fig. E9- 2b.

Figure E9-2b Figure E9- 2c

For dynamic loading it is necessary to balance the weld about the neutral axis of
the angle (AISC, Sec. 1-15.3). Lw = 14.5 in, same as above. Referring to Fig.
E9-2c and placing the weld across the back of angle to reduce the joint length,
we have

L1+ L2 + 4=14.5

L1+ L2 =10.5

L1=10.5L2

Take the sum of moments about the neutral axis of the angle so that P is
eliminated; also,
Pw =0.70711 0.1875 21=2.78 kips/in
 L2 ( 2.78 ) ( 41.16 )+ 4 ( 2.78 ) ( 42 1.16)L ( 2.78 ) (1.16 )=0
1

Canceling Pw , we obtain

2.84 L21.16 L1 = 3.36

Substituting L1=10.5L2 , we obtain

2.84 L21.16 ( 10.5L2) = 3.36

L2=3.89 in

Substituting L2=10.5L1 into Eq. (a) yields

26.46
L1 = =6.62 in
4

Check: 6.62 + 3.89 + 4 = 14.5 in.

9-6.1 Rigid Beam- Column Connections

Rigid or AISC Type 1 connections for beams to columns can be easily made using
welding. Figure 9-9 illustrates several beam-to-column connections using
welding.
In most of rigid connectionsd it is common practice to use a web weld either as a
fillet or in combination with a plate or angle to carry the shear. This design
proceeds as if no shear is carried by the flange welds and avoids the use of
combined stress computations. With beam webs carrying the principal shear and
the flanges the moment, this assumption is reasonable and works well in
practice.
Figure 9-10 illustrates a line detail of a typical welded connection. Note that the
use of a top plate to develop the beam moment allows a looser fitting tolerance
of beam-to-column spacing. The top plate should not be welded in a zone of
about L0 = 1.2 width of plate so that shear lag effects do not cause high
local stresses and plate (or weld) failure.
Stiffeners may be required opposite the tension and / or comperssion flanges of
the beam delivering the load to the column. The remainder of this section will
Stiffeners as required, top plate, angle or plate for beam shear, erection bolt,
erection plate or angle
Figure 9-10 Commonly used rigid welded beam-to-column connection. (a) Rigid
connection. (b) Column web stress zone; identification of terms used in Eq. (9-1).
(c) Top plate and welding.
be concerned with determination of whether these column web and flange
stiffeners are required.
Reffering to Fig. 9-10b, the column web opposite the compression flange of the
beam may be treated as an edge-loaded plate. Using Eq. (3-5) with k c = 1.15

(Table 3-2, case 2, for a fixed-free edge plate), E = 29000 ksi, = 0.3, dc =

using a higher Fy steel