Towards a consistent design approach for steel joints under generalized loading

Abstract

The behaviour of steel joints is complex and requires the proper consideration of a multitude of phenomena, ranging from material non-linearity (plasticity, strain-hardening), non-linear contact and slip, geometrical non-linearity (local instability) to residual stress conditions, and complicated geometrical configurations. The component method is widely accepted as the practical approach in predicting the behaviour of steel joints and it provides detailed procedures to evaluate the strength and initial stiffness of steel joints, as specified in Eurocode 3.