STUDY ON DESIGN METHOD FOR A JOINT OF RING-STIFFENER ON THE TUBULAR STEEL TRUSSED TOWERS : Part 2 Local behavior of tubular steel reinforced by ring-stiffener and gusset plate

Abstract

Strength and deformation criteria for a joint of the steel tubular trussed tower reinforced by ring-stiffeners and gusset plates are quantitatively derived from experiments and FEM nonlinear analyses to predict its local behavior under bending or horizontal loading. Yield strength of the concerned joint under bending loading is evaluated more safely than that of the model joint reinforced by single ring-stiffener. In case of a joint having multiple number of ring-stiffeners under horizontal loading, its yield strength shows a tendency to be small, because sheared force of the each ring-stiffener is not even. Under the unified condition, yield strength reduction factor correlates a ratio of the ring width outside the tubular steel to the tubular steel diameter.