New design shear method for the bolted CFS connector in a CFS beam-to-column connection.

The present research work endeavours to study the shear performance of a 2-bolted clip-angle connector made of commonly available low-grade steel material (f y = 275-300 MPa) with 58 laboratory tests. The variability in the test specimens is achieved by varying the clip-angle thickness and its aspect ratio. The governing failure modes observed in the 2-bolted clip-angle are (i) Tearing failure for an aspect ratio (L/D) ≤ 0.23; (ii) Shear local buckling for an aspect ratio (L/D) > 0.23. An empirical shear equation for the 2-bolted clip-angle is developed by considering the present experimental data of low-grade steel material (f y = 275-300 MPa) and data in the literature for the high-grade (f y = 375-550 MPa) steel material. In addition, a new shear strength equation that applies to both 2-bolted and 3-bolted clip-angle of both high and low-grade steel strength is developed by the regression analysis of present 2-bolted and 3-bolted clip-angle experimental results from the literature. The proposed new shear strength equation is expressed as a function of L/D to represent the failure behavior of the bolted clip angles. Hence, the proposed new shear equation is applicable for all the bolted clip-angle connections under a shear load in a CFS beam-to-column connection and presents the corresponding failure mode as well. The design factors of Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD), Limit State Design (LSD) and Allowable Strength Design (ASD) methods were evaluated for the proposed shear equations by the reliability analysis. [Display omitted] • Shear behavior of the 2-bolted connection (2BS) studied for the low-grade (f y = 275–300 MPa) steel. • An improved shear equation for 2BS connection was developed from present and literature data. • A new set of equations as a function of failure modes was developed for CFS bolted connection. • Reliability analysis was conducted and design factors were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]