Chapter-2 Tension Members

Chapter-Three
Tension Members

2.1 Introduction
Tension Members are structural members that carries tension load. They are efficient carriers of load
and are used in many types of structures. They occur as principal structural members in bridges and
roof trusses. Cables in suspension bridges and cable –stayed bridges are example of tension
members. In building frames tension members occur as:
 Tension chords and internal ties in trusses
 Tension bracing members
 Hangers supporting floor beams

CENG-5201 Design of Steel Structures

Lecture Note A/Y 2016
Chapter-2 Tension Members

2.2 Types of Tension Members

The form of Tension member is governed to a large extent by the type of structure of which it is
a part and by a method of joining it to connecting portions of the structure.

Tension members may consists of a single structural shapes or they may be built-up from a
number of structural shapes as shown in figure 2,2

Wire cables, circular, square and flat bars are the simplest forms of tension members in use for
light bridges and roof trusses. Steel section such as angle, I-, channel and tee-sections provide
more rigidity to words buckling in compression when reversal of load takes place under wind
load. Compound or built-up sections are used for heavy loads.

2.3 Strength design of Tension Members

The design of members subjected to a tensile force is the straightest forward to all structural
design problems. It consists of providing a member adequate cross-sectional area to resist the
applied load.

Failure of a tension member is considered to occur either due to insufficient gross cross sectional
area of the member away from the joint or due to insufficient net cross sectional area of the
joints.

CENG-5201 Design of Steel Structures

Lecture Note A/Y 2016
Chapter-2 Tension Members

Neat section/Neat area

Holes for rivets or bolts in tension affect the member in two ways
1. They reduce the area of the cross section
2. They result in non uniform strain on cross sections in the neighborhood of the hole

The area of the gross cross section minus the area which is lost because of holes is called the net
section or the net area. The member may break on a net section normal to its axis, or it may also
break on a zigzag section if the fastener is staggered.

i) For plates
When holes are arranged in parallel rows at right angle to the member axis as shown in fi 2.3, the
net section is obtained by subtracting the maximum sum of hole across any cross section from
the gross area. i.e.
An =Ag-dot-----------------------------(2.1)
Where An -net cross sectional area
Ag gross cross sectional area
do hole diameter
t –plate thickness

Staggered holes
In the case of staggered or zig-zag chain as shown in fig.2.4 failure pass sections are:
a) along line A-B-E
b) along zig-zag line A-B-C-D if the fasteners are staggered

CENG-5201 Design of Steel Structures

Lecture Note A/Y 2016
Chapter-2 Tension Members

The net area is computed based on simple empirical formulas. The effective width of any failure
path is found by subtracting from the width of the section the width lost by holes in the failure
path and adding the quantity S2/4P for each zigzag.

The net section area Aeff can be determined from:

S 2t
An =-Ag-dot +  ----------------------- (2.2)
4p
Where Ag gross cross sectional area
do hole diameter
t –plate thickness

S-the pitch, spacing of the center of two consecutive holes in the chain measured parallel to the
member axis.
P- the spacing between the center of two holes measured perpendicular to the member axis(gauge
distance)

Relation between rivet diameter and rivet hole

The size of holes for fasteners shall not exceed the dimensions given in the following table

Riveted diameter(d) mm Hole diameter(do)mm

14 d+1
14< 22 d+2
=24 d+2
27 d+3

ii) Angle connected with its two Legs

The method of solution is to assume one leg of the angle to be rotated and brought in the plane of
the second leg a`s a result we get

 The gross width of the angle in its new position would be the sum of the length of the
two legs less the angle thickness
 The gauge distance P for rivet or bolt holes in the two legs is the sum of the gauge
distance in each leg less the angle thickness

CENG-5201 Design of Steel Structures

Lecture Note A/Y 2016
Chapter-2 Tension Members

iii) Angle Connected by one Leg

Angle connected by a single row of bolts may be treated as concentrically loaded and the design
ultimate resistance Nu,Rd of the net section determined as follows
a) With one bolt:
2e2  0.5d o tf u
u, Rd  --------------------------------(2.4)
 2
0.4 net f u
b) With two bolts: N u, Rd  if P1  2.5do -----------------(2.5)
 2

0.7  net f u
 ,if P15.0do
 2
iii) With three bolts or more

0.5 net f u
N u, Rd  if P1  2.5do
 2
0.7  net f u
 if P15.0do -------------------------(2.6)
 2
For intermediate values of P1 a linear interpolation may be used. For unequal angle connected by its
smaller leg, Anet should be taken as the area of an equal leg angle having the size of the smaller
angle.
CENG-5201 Design of Steel Structures
Lecture Note A/Y 2016
Chapter-2 Tension Members

2 Channel and T-section

For single channel connected through the web or single tee connected through the flange,the
effective area should be calculated by:
 3a1 
 net  a1   a 2 ---------------------------------------------(2.7)
 3a1  a1 
Where:a1 is the net sectional area of the connected leg.
a2 is the sectional area of the unconnected leg.

3) Double angle
a) For a double angle connected back to back and to the same side of a guesset plate or are separated
by small gap as shown below in figure 2.8, the effective area should calculated by:

 5a1 
 net  a1   a 2 ------------------------------------(2.8)
 5a1  a1 
Where a1 & a2 are as before

CENG-5201 Design of Steel Structures

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Chapter-2 Tension Members

c) For double angles or tee placed back to back and connected to each side of a gusset or to
each side of rolled section fig.(2.9) the effective area should be calculated as for plates using
equation 2.1

2.4 Limit State design of Tension members

For members in axial tension, the design value of the axial tension force Nt,sd at each cross
section satisfy:
Nt,sd  Nt,.Rd ----------------------------(2.9)
where Nt,Rd=the design tension resistance capacity of the cross section, taken as the smaller of

a) The design plastic resistance of the gross section

Af y ---------------------------------- (2.10)
pl, Rd 
 1
M1=1.1 partial safety factor for the section
A is gross area

b) The design ultimate resistance of the net section at the bolt hole

0.9 Aeff f u
 u, Rd  ------------------------------------ (2.11)
 2
M2=1.25 -partial safety factor for the net section
Anet is the net area

CENG-5201 Design of Steel Structures

Lecture Note A/Y 2016
Chapter-2 Tension Members

2.5 Slenderness Ratio

In all tension members, minimum amount of member stiffness or rigidity is required with
the view of preventing undue sagging, deflection and vibration. This is accomplished by
limiting the slenderness ratio . Its slenderness ratio is limited to 350.

L
 --------------------------------- (2.12)
r
L=length of the member
I
R=minimum radius of gyration, r=
A
I=minimum 2nd moment of inertia
A=the area of the cross section

CENG-5201 Design of Steel Structures

Lecture Note A/Y 2016