Ideastatica Load Transfer

[Supun93]

I have this pocket connection where L angle is connected to HSS Column. I have trouble transfering the loads on top of the pocket( L Angle). Is there way to cut the L angle from both sides?

 

[Retrograde]

I would not do the steel bracing like that. Use stiffener plates.

 

[Supun93]

I know. But this is what client need

 

[icebloom]

These kind of bearing connections are tricky to model in idea statica. Its almost worth just doing it by hand. You won't be able to build the model you are trying to build by connecting two members where one of the member is the angle with the load introduced via the angle. The load in this joint will be introduced via the concrete (beam?). You need to think of the shelf angle as a linking element between the two members in the joint, the members being the concrete (beam I'm guessing?) and the steel post.

I would use either a steel beam in place of the concrete beam purely for load introduction into the connection, or a column sitting on the shelf angle with compressive load (I think this is the better option as it allows you to introduce a purely compressive force to mimic your beam shear which becomes bearing onto the shelf angle). For the shelf angle below, you can either use the stiffening member operation to generate an angle and weld it to the face of the post, or you can make it out of stiffening plates and plate cuts all welded together.

If you use a steel beam for load introduction, you will either need to bolt your load introduction steel beam flange to the top leg of the angle (by introducing the bolted operation it will also introduce contact between the plates) or you can model contact directly. If you use bolts note that depending on your load position/load value, these bolts may attract tension due to local bending which is unrealistic if the connection is purely a bearing connection. This is an indication that the connection would have unrealistic restraint due to the modelling approach. Alternatively, if you model contact directly, you will need to introduce a short weld (10mm long or something insignificant) in the model (you can use the partial weld option) in order to stabilise the model - if you don't have this you will get a singularity. The way you position the load introduction member as well as the position of the load in the model will also be important in terms of load eccentricity in the connection.

I think the best option is to model your steel post plus the shelf angle, then add another steel post with bearing contact to the steel angle and a small utility weld to stabilise the model.

Note also that this kind of connection has no lateral restraint between the RC beam and post - depending on the context and what other structure you got around it, you may wish to weld some shear studs to the face of the post to be cast into the beam when its built.