Initial Bending Stiffness of Aluminum Alloy Gusset Joint

Abstract:

The bending deformation of aluminum alloy gusset joint could be divided into three parts: the deformation of the central area of the plate, the relative displacement between the plate and the member and the bending deformation of the member. The formula to estimate the initial bending stiffness of aluminum alloy gusset joint is proposed through analyzing its bending characteristics. According to the joint tests, the main mechanical behavior of moment rotation curves is investigated. Numerical simulations of the gusset joint are established through software ABAQUES. The initial bending stiffness obtained from the numerical results agrees well with the experimental ones. Based on single parameter analysis, the influence of the thickness of plate, the height of member, the number of bolts and the radius of plate on the out of plane initial bending stiffness of this joint are studied. Finally, the comparison of the theoretical results, the numerical results and the experimental results is carried out. It is indicated that the theoretical formula is suitable for the design of this joint.