Experimental and numerical assessment of RHS T-joints subjected to brace and chord axial forces

The demand for the use of hollow section structures in construction has experienced great progress in Brazil, despite being widely used for a long time in Europe and developed countries. The release of a Brazilian Technical Standard specifically for the design of hollow sections confirms this trend, together with the need for increased dissemination and implementation of studies and research to enable a better understanding and development of this technology. This paper presents experimental and numerical evaluations of the influence of chord normal stresses on the behaviour of tubular T-joints. The experimental programme consisted of six tests applying compressive loads to the brace. These results were compared with the numerical results obtained from a finite element model simulation performed in ANSYS to extend the results to cases with tension forces on the brace. The results were compared with the design provisions in Eurocode 3, Brazilian standard NBR 16239:2013 and ISO 14346. A new equation for the case where compression loads are applied to the chord for n ≤ -0.5 is therefore proposed, providing better agreement with the experimental and numerical results