📚 Gusset plates connect bracing members to framing elements in building frames. Single-sided splice members are easy to fabricate, but they can introduce out-of-plane eccentricity, which affects the connection strength.
💡 This post explores failure modes of gusset plates of different thicknesses using the #RFEM program and #SteelJoint add-on by #DlubalSoftware. Key insights based on "Journal of Constructional Steel Research 106 (2015) 166–183" by C. Fang et al:
👉 Gusset-Splice Interactive Plastic Failure
An 8 mm-thick gusset: Two yield areas form, leading to out-of-plane bending.
Stiffened splice: Thicker gusset plates show significant plastic deformation and yield lines.
👉 Splice Plastic Failure
Thicker gusset plates (for example, 12 mm): The splice member yields before the gusset plate due to weaker bending resistance.
👉 Gusset Plate Buckling
Thinner gusset plates: Yielding leads to buckling and out-of-plane bowing.
Understanding these failure modes helps you to design more robust and reliable connections, ensuring structural integrity under compression.
