Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-1

Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan

Shiraz University

Chapter 3 (Part 1)
Tension Members
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-2
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Introduction
 Tension members are used in the bridges, trusses, bracing
systems, and tie rods, cables, etc.

 In contrast to compression members, there is no danger of

buckling in tension members.

 Connection details are considered in design, as they

generally control the design of tension members.

Typical Tension Members

 The simplest form of tension member is the circular rod.
However, there are connection problems and initial tension
must be introduced in most cases.

 The most common steel tension members are single and

double angles (two angles back-to-back with small space to
allow insertion of gusset plates for connection purposes).
Other sections include tees, channels, W sections or built-up
sections. Tension members are connected to each other and
other members using bolted or welded connections.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-3
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Typical Connections

 The connection of tension members

should be designed without
eccentricity. The lines of action of
truss members at a joint should
coincide to prevent development of
moments.

 Stress concentrations adjacent to

localized end connections are due to a phenomenon called
shear lag. In the region near the hole or weld, shear
stresses develop that causes the tensile stresses away from
the hole or weld to be less than the values at the edge.

Tensile Resistance (Design Strength of Tension Members)

 Due to strain hardening, a ductile steel tension member can
resist, without fracture, a force greater than yield stress
times gross area.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-4
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

 Excessive inelastic elongation of the member can render the

member useless and result in the failure of the structural
system.

 A member with bolt-holes can fail by fracture at the net

section through holes. The failure load in this case may be
less than that required to yield the gross member away
from the holes.

 Based on AISC-LRFD Specification, there are two strength

limit states for tension members and one serviceability
limit state

 Yielding limit state

 Fracture/Rupture limit state

 Excessive vibration limit state

Tensile Strength
 Pu Pd =tPn

 Based on AISC-LRFD Specification (D2, manual page 26),

the tensile design resistance, Pd, of an axially loaded
member (tPn) is governed by the lower value of:

a) Resistance to general yielding of the gross cross section,

Ag (LRFD Equation D2-1).

tPn= tFyAg (yielding, with t =0.90)

 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-5
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

b) Resistance to fracture (rupture) on a reduced

cross section, Ae (effective net area) at the end
connection (LRFD Equation D2-2).

tPn=tFuAe (Fracture, with t =0.75)

Pu = Factored axial load

Pn = Nominal axial strength
Fy = Specified minimum Yield strength of steel
Ag = Gross area of the section=total cross sectional area
Fu = Specified minimum Ultimate strength of steel
Ae = Effective net area of the section
t = Resistance factor for tension yielding or tension fracture

 As it is mentioned in Chapter 1; Table 2-3 (p. 2-39) and

Table 2-4 (p. 2-40) of the manual provides yield and tensile
strength values for various types of steel.

Limit in the Slenderness Ratio (LRFD D1, Page 26)

 In order to prevent excessive vibration, AISC/LRFD
Specification recommends using the restriction on the
stiffness of tension members: L/r  300
where:
L = is the length of the member, and
I
r = is the radius of gyration = .
A
Note: This suggestion does not apply to rods or hangers in
tension.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-6
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Net areas for bolted connections (LRFD B4.3, Page 18)

 The “net area” refers to the gross cross-sectional area of
the member minus any holes, notches or other indentations.

 The existence of holes for bolted connections in a tension

member increases unit stress. Tensile stresses are assumed
to be uniformly distributed over the net section at failure.

 The net area An of a tension member is the sum of the

products of thickness t and the smallest net width wn of
each element.

 Diameter of any bolt hole is generally punched at a diameter

1/16 in. (2mm) larger than the bolt diameter (Table J3.3).

 The punching of the hole is assumed to damage or destroy

another 1/16 in. (2mm) of the diameter.

 Therefore the diameter of the hole, dh, to be used in net

area calculations should be equal to nominal bolt diameter,
db, plus 1/8in (4mm).

dh =db +1/8inch (4mm)

 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-7
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Example 1:
Determine the net area of the 3/8 x 8-in. plate shown below. The
plate is connected at its end with two lines of ¾-in. bolts.

A n = wn t T

wn = wg – number of bolts x (bolt

diameter + 1/8 in.)
T/2
= 8in – 2 (3/4in+1/8in) = 6.25 in.
An = 6.25 in x 3/8in = 2.34 in.2 T/2

Example 2: (Example 3.1)

Fig.3.3
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-8
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Controls
(Answer)

Effects of Staggered Holes

 To increase the calculated net area, it is often desirable to
stagger the bolt-holes.
 Section B4.3 of the LRFD specifications (page 18) provides
guidance for calculating net areas along inclined or zigzag
lines going through bolt holes.
 The sum of all diameters in the chain (path) must be
subtracted from the gross width and the quantity s 2/4g
added for each gage space within the chain. Such that:

wn=wg-d+(s 2/4g)
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-9
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

where,
s = the longitudinal center-to-center spacing (pitch) of any
two consecutive holes.
g = the transverse center-to-center spacing (gage) between
fastener gage lines.
e

 To determine the critical net area in staggered holes, wn for

all possible failure paths must be calculated and the
smallest (most critical) value selected. For example, in the
above, wn for ecd and abcd must be computed.
 For angles, the gage for holes in opposite legs is considered
to be the sum of the gages from the back of the angle
minus the thickness of the angle.

g =3"+2"–t = 3"+2"-(1/2)" = 4.5 in.

 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-10
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Example 3:
Find the critical net area of the ½
in. plate shown below based on
LRFD specifications. Holes are
punched for ¾ in. bolts.

We have to examine several

different paths: ABCD, ABCEF, or
ABEF.
Hole diameters are (3/4)" + (1/8)" = (7/8)".
ABCD = 11" – (2)(7/8)" = 9.25 in.
ABCEF = 11" – (3)(7/8)" + (3")2/[(4)(3")] = 9.125 in. Controls
ABEF = 11" – (2)(7/8)" + (3")2/[(4)(6")] = 9.625 in. (waste of time)
An = (9.125")(1/2)" = 4.56 in 2.

Staggered Bolts in Channels and W Sections

 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-11
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Example 4:

Find the net area along path ABCDEF for the C15x33.9 shown
below (Ag =10 in.2). Holes are for ¾-in. bolts.

dh = (3/4)" + (1/8)" = 7/8 in.

Approximate net area along ABCDEF :
An = (10in 2) – (2)(7/8)"(0.65") – (2)(7/8)"(0.4") + {(3")2/[(4)(9")]}(0.4")
+ (2){(3")2/[(4)(4.6")]}[(0.4" + 0.65")/2] = 8.766 in.2

Effective Net Areas

 Of the several factors influencing the performance of a

tension member, the manner in which it is connected is the
most important. A connection almost always weakens the
member, and the measure of its influence is called the joint
efficiency.
 If tensile forces are not transferred uniformly across a
member cross section, there would be a transition region of
uneven stress running from the connection out into the
member for some distance. For example, when one leg of an
angle is connected only (as shown below), the connected leg
carries more of the load. It takes a transition length for
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-12
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

the stress to become uniform. In the transition region, the

shear transfer has lagged and the phenomenon is referred
to as “shear lag”. Therefore, the cross section is not fully
effective. The LFRD Specification requires that the net
area (or gross area in welded connections be reduced by a
factor U (shear lag factor).

 For bolted connections, the effective net area is:

Ae=UAn (AISC Equation D3-1)

where An is the net area of the member and U is a reduction

factor to account for shear lag.
 For welded connections, the effective net area is:
Ae=UAg

1. For any type of tension member except plates and round

HSS with L  1.3D
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-13
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

 When partial bolted or welded connections are used,

the following approximate relationship for U can be
used:
U =1-(x /L)  0.9

 Where x is the distance from the centroid of the

connected area of the component (member) to the
shear plane of the connection (connection eccentricity),
and L is the length of connection in the direction of
loading (distance between the first and last bolts in a
line of bolts).
 When there are two or more lines of bolts, L is the
length of the line with the maximum number of bolts.
 If a member has two symmetrically loaded planes of
connection, x is measured from the centroid of the
nearest one-half of the area (shown as follows).
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-14
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

 Connection Eccentricity for W, S, M, HP Sections

 Connection Eccentricity for Channel Sections

Example 5:
Determine the net effective area and the factored tensile
resistance of a single angle (6x4x1/2 in) tension member bolted
to a gusset plate as shown below. Use Grade 36 steel. All bolts
are 7/8 in.-diameter.

Gross width = sum of leg

dimensions minus thickness
wg = 4"+6"-0.5" = 9.5 in.
d = 7/8in. + 1/8in. = 1 in.
for abcd : wn=9.5"-
2(1")+(1.375"2)/(4x2.375")=7.7 in. Controls
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-15
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

for abe : wn=9.5"-1(1")=8.5 in.

An=twn=0.5"(7.7")=3.85 in.2
Since only one leg is connected, the net area must be reduced by
U. From AISC Manual,
x=0.987"
L=3(2.75") = 8.25 in.
U=1-x/L=1 - 0.987"/8.25" = 0.88 < 0.9
Ae=UAn=0.88(3.85 in.2)=3.39 in.2
Factored resistance to yielding:
t = 0.90 and Fy = 36 ksi
tPn = tFyAg = 0.90(36ksi)(4.75 in.2)= 153.9 kips

Factored resistance to rupture:

t = 0.75 and Fu = 58 ksi
tPn = tFuAe = 0.75(58ksi)(3.39 in.2)= 147.47 kips Controls

Example 6:
Determine the effective net area and the factored tensile
resistance of a single angle L6x4x1/2 tension member welded to a
gusset plate as shown below. Use Grade 36 steel.

L=8 in.

U=1 – x/L = 1 – 0.981"/8" = 0.877

 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-16
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Ae=UAg=0.877(4.75 in.2) = 4.166 in.2

Factored resistance to yielding:

t = 0.90 and Fy=36 ksi

tPn = tFyAg = 0.90(36ksi)(4.75 in.2)= 153.9 kips Controls

Factored resistance to rupture:

t = 0.75 and Fu = 58 ksi

tPn = tFuAe = 0.75(58ksi)(4.166 in.2)= 181.22 kips

2.
For welded connections when the tension load is transmitted
by transverse welds only, U =1.0 and the area of directly
connected elements is used. For welded connections with
longitudinal welds along both edges of a
connected plate, the reduction factor may be
taken as follows. L is the weld length and w is
the plate width (distance between welds).
U =1.0 for L ≥2w
U =0.87 for 1.5w ≤L<2w
U =0.75 for w ≤L<1.5w
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-17
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Example 7:

3. Round HSS with L  1.3D

U = 1.0

4. Alternatives to U =1-(x/L) 0.9 for Single Angles:

The following values may be used in lieu of U =1-(x/L) 0.9

 For four or more fasteners in the direction of

loading, U = 0.80.

 For two or three fasteners in the direction of

loading, U = 0.60.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-18
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

5. Alternatives to U =1-(x/L) 0.9 for W, M, S, HP, or Tees

Cut from These Shapes:

d. Connected through the web with four or more fasteners in

the direction of loading: U = 0.7.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-19
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

AISC D3 mandates that for open cross sections such as I-shapes,

T-shape and single and double angles, the value of U need not be
less than the ratio of (Ag )connected elements/(Ag)member.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-20
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

 For certain configurations, a segment or “block” of material

at the end of the member can tear out.
 Therefore, the strength of the tension member is not
controlled only by yielding of the
gross section and fracture of the
effective section, or by the
strength of the bolts or welds with
which the members are connected.
 Strength of a tension member may
be controlled by its block shear
strength–tearing out or rupture of
a “block” of steel. Failure may occur
due to tension in one plane and
shear on the perpendicular plane as
shown below:
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-21
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Failure by Block Shear

 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-22
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

 The model used in the AISC Specification assumes that

failure occurs by rupture (fracture) on the shear area and
rupture on the tension area. Both surfaces contribute to
the total strength, and the resistance to block shear will be
the sum of the strengths of the two surfaces. The shear
rupture stress is taken as 60% of the tensile ultimate
stress, so the nominal strength in shear is 0.6FuAnv and the
nominal strength in tension is FuAnt.
 This gives a nominal strength of
Rn  0.6Fu Anv  Fu Ant
where,
Anv = net area along the shear surface or surfaces
Ant = net area along the tension surface
The AISC Specification (J4.3, Page 129) limits the 0.6FuAnv
to 0.6FyAgv, and gives one equation to cover all cases as
follows:

Rn  0.6 Fu Anv  U bs Fu Ant  0.6 Fy Agv  U bs Fu Ant

where:
0.6Fy = shear yield stress
Agv = gross area along the shear surface or surfaces
 = 0.75
Ubs = 1.0 when the tension stress is uniform (angles. gusset
plates. and most coped beams).
Ubs = 0.5 when the tension stress is non-uniform. A non-
uniform case is illustrated in the Commentary to the
Specification.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-23
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Example 8:
Compute the block shear strength of the tension member shown
in the Figure below using LRFD design method. The holes are for
7/8–inch-diameter bolts, and A36 steel is used.

1.5
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-24
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Exercise1:
Determine the tensile strength (including block shear design
strength) of the A36 welded member (the plate is ½ in thick)
shown below:
Agv = 0.5(8) = 4.0 in.2
Agt = 0.5(10) = 5.0 in.2
Anv = 0.5(8) = 4.0 in.2
Ant = 0.5(10) = 5.0 in.2

Exercise2:
In the connection shown in the figure below, the bolts are ¾-inch
in diameter, and A36-steel is used for all components. Consider
both the tension member and the gusset plate and compute the
design block shear strength of the connection.

Gusset Plate

Tension Member
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 3-25
Chapter 3: Tension Members M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University