Innovative hollow section column‐splice connections resorting to laser cutting

Circular Hollow Section (CHS) columns are highly encouraged in the modern industry due to their good resistance against high compression, tension and flexure in all directions, combined with their exceptional aesthetics. However, conventional end plate‐bolted column‐splice connections tend to limit the full potential of the CHS by focusing most of the damages in the bolts and sometimes discourage architects with a poor aesthetic. An innovative “passing‐through” concept (using laser cutting technology) have therefore been proposed in the EU‐RFCS project LASTTS to develop efficient column‐splice connections. Three different configurations have been presented in this article: (1) CS‐1: CHS columns connected using passing‐through steel plates, bolts and steel cover plates outside the tube diameter; (2) CS‐2: CHS columns connected using passing‐through steel plates, bolts and steel cover plates inside the tube diameter; (3) CS‐3: CHS columns connected using passing‐through steel plates, bolts and steel end plates inside the tube diameter. Nonlinear parametric studies have been conducted based on finite element models, calibrated from a previous experimental campaign, to understand the influence of each parameter and subsequently characterize the analytical assumptions to calculate their ultimate resistance under different loads. Additionally, they are compared among each other to note their advantages/disadvantages in terms of strength, stiffness and industrial application.