15.2.3 Fin plates (see Fig.

27)
a) Choose fin plate size and number of bolts (grade 8.8 only). The length of the plate should
normally be greater than 0.6 times the depth of the supported beam. Other restrictions
also apply to ensure that the connection has adequate deformation capacity, (see Notes
3-5 below).
b) Calculate force in the outermost bolts connecting the fin plate to the beam web, from
shear and eccentricity, (see Note 2 of 15.2.1).
c) Providing the limitations in Notes 4 and 5 are complied with, shear in the bolt will not
govern the capacity.
d) Check bearing stress in web and fin plate.
e) Check shear stress in plate and supported beam based on both gross and net area.
f) Check shear stress in supporting column or beam (taking account of beams framing in
from both sides). Confirm that punching shear is not limiting by ensuring that,

Usc m
tf G t w c p yf

where tf is the fin plate thickness

tw is the thickness of supporting web
Usc is the ultimate tensile strength of supporting member
pyf is the design strength of fin plate
g) Check shear and bending interaction of fin plate.
h) Ensure that the leg length of the weld is greater than or equal to 0.8 times the fin plate
thickness.
i) If there is a single or double notch, check reduced beam section for shear and moment,
and local stability of notch. If the beam is unrestrained, check the overall stability of the
notched beam.
j) Check block shear over appropriate cross-sections in plate and supporting beams with
notches, (see Section 15.2.4).

Notes
1. One vertical line of bolts only
2. Short fin plates only, eccentricity G tf /0.15
3. Limit of beam depth to be 610 UB
4. tp or tw G 0.50db for grade S275
G 0·42db, for grade S355
where db = bolt diameter
5. Edge and end distance to be H 2db

15.2.4 Block shear failure

The possibility of failure in a connection caused by a block of material within the bolted area
breaking away from the remainder of the section should be checked in certain cases. This is
known as block shear failure and some typical cases are shown in Fig. 28.

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