Ron,
The Steel Construction Manual tables 8-4 thru 8-11 use the instantaneous center of rotation method (plastic). I only recall seeing the elastic method in Blodgett's book. While it is fairly easy to use hand calculation for the elastic method; tables, a spreadsheet or other software is probalably more practical for the instantaneous center of rotation method. The only example calculations for the instaneous center of rotation method that I have found is in Salmon and Johnson's text. I would like to see other examples if anyone knows of any.
Weld design is difficult to resolve in a broad software package. We write our own connection design software, and certainly include the weld design in each case. The eccentricities and force combinations are difficult to program without more perspective. With all the years of program development we have still have special conditions that require research and hand calculations.
Alternatively, another spreadsheet is here. Look for WeldCalc spreadsheet.
It’s no trick to get the answers when you have all the data. The trick is to get the answers when you only have half the data and half that is wrong and you don’t know which half - LORD KELVIN
I checked out Alex Tomanovich's spreadsheet. Unfortunately it is ASD with unfactored loads. In Canada pretty well all design has beem Limit States Design using factored loads since about 1977. Guess I will just have to use the CISC handbook Tables for the time being.
Yakpol.net has a shareware spreadsheet that calculates weld group capacity using the instantaneous center of rotation method and the elastic method. yakpol.net/
