Block Shear Experimental and Numerical Studies on Hot Rolled Channel and Gusset Plate with Staggered Bolted Connection

This paper describes the block shear strength of a hot-rolled U-section and gusset plates with a staggered bolted connection based on a series of tensile tests. A formula is presented to calculate the ultimate load of the members in a novel method called “plane decomposition”. A comparative study is done between the AISC-2010, Teh and Yazici and plane decomposition methods and the results of the experimental study. This comparison showed that the solutions presented by AISC-2010 and Teh and Yazici are quite conservative, but the plane decomposition method provides acceptable results. Nonlinear 3D finite element (FE) analysis was carried out to determine the stress distribution on the staggered bolted connection. The results show that the staggered planes are simultaneously subjected to shear and tension. The plane decomposition method was validated by the FE results.