×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

steel tube frame

steel tube frame

steel tube frame

(OP)
Hello, I am needing some help on ensuring a steel tube frame can withstand compression, moment, deflection, vibration effects.

I am attaching a pdf drawing of what we have in mind: we are assembling a steel tube frame with s.s. plate which will be welded onto the structure, and will hold power panels, monitors, transformer and control panel via screws.

Materials of construction consists of 2x2(1/8) ss tube with a ss 1/8" plate, main form of connection is welding.

Main concern is insufficient bracing for lateral motions.

Input is greatly appreciated.

Individual weights of equipment carried by the structure:
480V power panel(60#),
240/120V power panel(40#),
5kVA step down transformer (90#),
ambient monitor (5#),
phase monitor (5#),
control panel (100#)

Square steel tubes - 3.05#/ft

RE: steel tube frame

have you tried Unistrut assemblies and beams?

RE: steel tube frame

(OP)
Yeah, but the boss prefers the clean look of the stainless to match style of another equipment in the system.

RE: steel tube frame

Can you use a rectangular bottom tube... 2x1 or 2-1/2x1-1/2" or something of that ilk... easier to weld and use mitred corners at the top? You want to passivate the welds with nitric acid to minimise rusting at the welds. I can send you design info for the mitred corners if you need it.

Dik

RE: steel tube frame

This seems like a typical bent with two levels. As long as it analyzes correctly it should be fine.

1) Overall frame action for wind will probably govern.
2) Check local stresses at connections since it is only 1/8".
3) It would seem to me that additional ss tubes in the proper framing configuration would be cheaper than a large plate. But that is your estimator's call.
4) A thin plate may not be able to handle the drum load from wind combined with the load from solar panel. Check the load combinations for that, especially if it is only 1/8" flat plate.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources