15 Typical connections

In this Manual a number of typical connections for braced multi-storey buildings of simple
construction and for single-storey buildings, including portal frames, are described. For each
connection, a procedure is listed that will enable bolts, welds and plates to be designed and
bearing parts of the main members to be checked for the appropriate strengths.
The sequence and method of erection should be considered for safety and ease of erection
when the connections are being designed.
For more detailed methods of design, and for standard details, reference may be made
to publications of the Steel Construction Institute and the British Constructional Steelwork
Association41, 45.

15.1 Column bases

15.1.1 General
Column bases should be of sufficient size, stiffness and strength to transmit safely the forces
in the columns to the foundations. Uniform pressure distribution may be assumed in the
calculation of the nominal bearing pressure between the base plate and the support. The
maximum pressure on concrete foundations for factored loads should be limited to 0.6fcu,
where fcu is the 28-day cube strength of the concrete or the bedding material, whichever is the
lesser. Holding down bolts and their anchorage should be generally designed to take tension
as even if this does not occur due to the final loads it is likely to be necessary for stability
under construction. The holes in the baseplate are usually oversized to allow for tolerance
and washer plates are required.

15.1.2 Design of base plates

Base plates transmitting concentric loads may be designed by using an effective area, see Fig. 24.

Effective
2c + T 2c + T portions

2c + T

Fig. 24 Effective areas of base plates

82 IStructE/ICE Manual for the design of steelwork building structures 3rd edition