Laterally Offset RHS X-Connections

AbstractThe design of welded rectangular hollow section (RHS) truss-type connections, in which branches are laterally offset from the chord centerline, is not included in any of the current design codes and standards. To provide design recommendations for this type of connection, a series of studies have been performed on cold-formed welded RHS-to-RHS X-connections with branch lateral offset. An experimental study of 14 full-scale laboratory tests has been conducted, including 4 nonoffset control specimens and 10 laterally offset specimens. Two failure mode models representing the behavior of such connections have been proposed, and their validity is evaluated by the experimental results. Following the experimentation, a numerical study with a broader range of parameters was performed on such RHS connections, where nonlinear finite element (FE) models were created and validated against the laboratory tests. Based on the results of the experimental and numerical studies, one of the analytical models—a combined yield-line mechanism—is recommended to be used for the design of laterally offset RHS X-connections.