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What it the preferred shear connection between clip angles and shear tab?

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delagina

Structural
Sep 18, 2010
1,008
Say there is no issue and you can choose any shear connections for column(strong and weak axis) and also beam-beam.
For clip angle, do you shop weld the clip angle to column/beam support or everything is bolted.

I am trying to understand the pros and cons of these shear connections specially the cost and difficulty in construction.
I use clip angle for shear UNO.

 
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Assuming by "tab" you mean a single plate......I personally prefer angles to that (shop welded to beam, field bolted). However, I have worked with a lot of erectors that prefer the tab.

Structurally I argue for the angles because it accommodates any beam rotation (and other things) much better than the "tab".
 
Structurally, I like the double angles for the symmetry and the rotational ductility business that WARose mentioned.

I find that the preferred connection for the field is the single angle clip, all bolted. Cheap and super easy erection. Especially where're you've got two beams coming into either side of a column/beam web and you'd have to double use the holes with a pair of angles. I'm happy to go single angle whenever the number support it.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.
 
My experience goes back a long time. I generally used 2 clip angles connecting beams to WF columns and 1 plate connecting beams to tubes, etc. Typically detailed bolted connections for both, but knew that some shops may prefer welding the clip angles to the beam in-house. Probably had notes that clarified that option.

With the shear plate connections to tubes, the plate was typically shop welded to the tube. Here I often detailed horizontal slotted holes in either the beam or the plate to facilitate erection fit-up issues.

More recent requirements to accommodate beams on both sides of WF column webs, required the ability to partially bolt one beam without inhibiting the installation of the other one.

Never really looked into the relative costs.

gjc
 
Shear tabs are very common in California. It may be regional depending on what the fabricator is accustomed to. I have heard from other areas that the all bolted single angle is popular because the automated equipment (beam lines) make drilling the holes in the columns quick and cheap. And bolting the angles to the columns is less expensive than welding shear tabs.
 
Very much location dependent. Web side plates are the most common type in Australia, I think followed by partial depth end plates. Double angles are rarely used here.
 
In the Southeast US, I find that small shops without automatic beam lines prefer welded single-plate shear tabs. They can weld more economically than they can hand drill. The plates are usually ordered from suppliers who plasma-cut the holes for them - very economical. For shops with fully-automated beam lines, making holes is no big deal, so the all-bolted single- (or double-) angle connection is preferred. Either way, the erector gets a bolted field connection.
Dave

Thaidavid
 
I generally prefer clip angles. Bolted except in cases where OSHA rules mean you can't.

One reason I like it is torsion. Not that we're anticipating having much torsion in our beams. But, if we get even a little, I worry what will happen to those single plate shear tabs.
 
I'm more worried about what will happen to the beam in the case of torsion. Likely it will roll enough to LT buckle or enough to drop it's load before the connection fails if the method for resolving torsion is the end connection.
 
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