Connection types

Every type below is a template with its own analytical checks; the CBFEM column says whether the 3D finite element model is available for it. Each one is in the Connection library (Alt+L) with ready examples, and in New connection (Alt+N).

Shear connections#

Connection	Checks	CBFEM
Shear tab (single plate, conventional or extended, 1 or 2 bolt columns)	Manual Part 10: bolt group by instantaneous center, bolt shear and bearing, plate shear yielding and rupture, block shear, flexure + shear and buckling of the extended plate, maximum thickness for ductility, 5/8·t fillet, support base metal. To an HSS column: wall punching and plastification (K1).	Yes
Double angle (bolted or welded to the support and/or the beam)	Manual Part 10 tables and Chapter J: bolts in double shear, angle shear and block shear, beam web bearing and block shear, welds with the elastic method	—
Shear end plate	Manual Part 10, Example II.A-11: bolts, plate shear and block shear, beam web, weld	—
Seated beam (unstiffened angle, bolted or welded; stiffened seat welded) to a column flange or web	Manual Parts 9 and 10, Examples II.A-12A to II.A-15: beam web local yielding and crippling (Table 9-4), required bearing length, outstanding leg shear and flexure, bolts, Table 10-6 and 10-8 welds, stiffener width, thickness and bearing, support base metal	—
To girder / to column web / to HSS variants	As above, plus the support checks (girder web, HSS wall) and copes	Depends on base type

Coped beams (top, bottom or double cope, automatic or manual): local buckling (Manual Eqs. 9-14 to 9-18), flexural rupture at the cope (9-4) and shear on the reduced web.

Shear tab: bolt forces from the FE model

Moment connections#

Connection	Checks	CBFEM
End plate — flush, extended 4E, stiffened 4ES and 8ES	DG39 (2023) for flush and 4E, DG4 for 4ES and 8ES: yield lines, thick or thin plate, bolt tension with or without prying, extension shear, flange and web welds; column flange bending, web yielding and crippling, panel zone, continuity plates and doubler plate	Yes
Bolted flange plates	Manual Part 12, Example II.B-1: plates in tension and compression, bolts, block shear, plate to column welds, web connection	—
Welded moment (CJP flanges)	Puf = Mu/(d − tf) ± Nu/2, CJP = base metal, access holes J1.6, column J10, web with shear plate or welded	Yes (CBFEM only for the full joint)
Portal frame knee, ridge and rafter splice	End plate checks with the effective section at the plate (d/cosθ, haunch), eccentricity of the axial force, skewed flange welds, haunch checks	—

Column bases#

Connection	Checks	CBFEM
Base plate (W or HSS column; 4, 6 or more anchors; ribs; shear lug)	DG1: bearing, axial / small / large eccentricity, plate thickness by cantilever and anchor line, biaxial bending. ACI 318-19 Ch. 17: steel, breakout by overlapping cones, pullout, side-face blowout, bond, shear breakout, pryout, interaction. Column weld. Shear lug per §17.11.	Yes

See Base plates and anchors for the anchor types and the method in detail.

Bracing#

Connection	Checks	CBFEM
Gusset plate on a beam or to a column — HSS slotted, knife plate, single or double angle brace	Brace yielding and shear lag rupture (D3.1), brace weld and base metal, Whitmore yielding, rupture and buckling (Thornton), block shear, interface (shear + normal + moment, 1.25 ductility factor), support web yielding and crippling	FE plate
Corner gusset (UFM) — to beam and column	DG29 Uniform Force Method: general case and special cases 1, 2 and 3; automatic plate size (Lb, Lc, thickness); Whitmore, block shear, edges, welds, beam and column local checks	—
Chevron, V and X	Brace ends, plate, chevron forces in the beam (H, N, M, equivalent N)	—
HSS brace with end tee	DG24 Example 5.1	—

Corner gusset with the Uniform Force Method

Splices#

Connection	Checks
Beam splice (outer, or outer and inner flange plates; web plates)	Manual Parts 12 and 14: flange force M/d ± N/2, bolts, plates in tension and compression, block shear, fillers (J5.2)
Column splice (bolted, with partial bearing; or CJP with erection plates)	Manual Part 14: bearing (J7), fillers, CJP, erection stability (OSHA 300 lb at 18 in)
HSS splice with end plates (2 or 4 sides, round)	DG24 §5.4–5.6: prying with Fyp, bolts, welds

HSS connections and trusses#

Connection	Checks	CBFEM
Plate on HSS — longitudinal, through, transverse, cap plate	DG24 Chapter 7 (Examples 7.1 and 7.2), K1	—
Beam over HSS column	DG24 Example 4.1: cap plate, bolts, wall yielding and crippling (K1-11, K1-12)	—
HSS truss joints — T, Y, X, K gapped and overlapped, round or rectangular	AISC 360 Chapter K with the DG24 tables (Examples 8.1–8.5, 9.2), K5 welds, applicability limits	—
Truss joint with gusset plate — continuous chord (HSS, pipe or W), up to six braces welded, bolted with knife plates or direct to the chord	Brace ends, plate section over the chord, weld to the chord, chord wall K1, W web local checks, chord shear	Yes
Angle truss joint — 2L back to back or star, single angles	Brace end checks per member	—

Joints with several members#

Connection	Checks	CBFEM
Column with beams — up to four beams (two to the flanges, two to the web), each with its own connection; up to eight braces with corner gussets	The checks of each sub-connection (v1., v2.…), panel zone with all the moments, doubler plate, joint equilibrium	Yes — the whole joint in one model
Free joint — any bearing member with members at any angle	CBFEM only: plates, welds and bolts by the model	Yes

Other#

Connection	Checks
Crane runway bracket	DG7: bracket bending (F2), shear (G2), web yielding and crippling under the girder, bearing stiffeners, flange and web welds, column as a moment connection
Lifting lug	D5.1 and J7 in the direction of the force, bracket bending, weld group, torsion (informative)
Flange brace (angle)	Appendix 6.3.1b and E5

Member design#

Beams, columns, beam-columns, ties and braces with AISC 360-16 Chapters B, D, E, F, G and H. See Member design.

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