Net Section Rupture in Tension Members with Connection Eccentricity

Tension members consisting of single and double angles, single channels, and similar sections are frequently used for lateral bracing and as truss elements. Such members will normally have eccentric connections, and it is often permitted by current design specifications, to neglect this eccentricity in the design of the member. In this paper, load tests were performed on three series of short tension member specimens to investigate the influence of varying connection eccentricity and length on the load capacity of the members. Rupture load capacity of the net section was observed to be significantly reduced with moderate connection eccentricity, and a net section efficiency factor is developed and proposed as a replacement for the current shear lag factor in determining the effective net area of a tension member.