On the Need for Stiffeners for and the Effect of Lap Eccentricity on Extended Single-Plate Connections

The design procedure for extended single-plate connections presented in the 13th edition of the Steel Construction Manual contains many design checks to ensure satisfactory performance but does not include a check of lateral-torsional stability of the extended single plate, which resembles a double-coped beam. Research has shown that coping of beams can reduce the lateral-torsional buckling strength of beams. This paper presents a proposal to use the double-coped-beam concept to ensure the lateral-torsional stability of the extended plate. The question of stiffeners and the effect of the small eccentricity due to the lapping of the plate with the beam web will also be addressed.