Stiffener Requirements to Prevent Edge Buckling

Steel connection elements such as gusset plates and coped beam webs feature unsupported edges that are sometimes stiffened to prevent buckling. The stiffener requirements for structural elements with large aspect ratios are well established. However, for typical connections with an aspect ratio of ½ to 2, the existing requirements may not provide accurate results. The results from 123 elastic finite element models were analyzed to determine the stiffness requirements for edge stiffeners with smaller aspect ratios. A design procedure based on a simplified model is proposed as a starting point for stiffener design.