Design and FE Analysis of K-joints on a Multiplanar Tubular Truss Using High Strength Steel

Abstract: This Master Thesis is part of HILONG project, which is an abbreviation for “High Strength Steel on Long Span Structures”. The objectives of the HILONG project are to study the use of HSS on long span structures, the advantages and also the disadvantages which such use of high strength steel brings with itself. One of the advantages is a possible significant reduction in the weight of the steel structure this will lead to smaller foundations, shorter transportation and construction times and leads to lower CO2 emissions and energy use. Despite those advantages, it is not widely used in the construction sector as can be seen in machinery and automotive systems. To understand this, we have to look on the disadvantages which are related to such use of high strength steel, those are equal Young´s Modulus as conventional steel, more prompt to buckling, not defined yield stress, more brittle failure, higher price/ton ratio, reduced availability and different weld procedures.
This thesis is focused on tubular multiplanar truss with the use of seamless hot rolled HSS tubes and is divided into two parts, those are:
a) Analytical approach to calculate the resistance of tension joint based on Eurocode procedures and two other references,
b) Finite Element Analysis model representing the whole experiment of the tension joint.