Comparative Study on Existing Design Methods for Flange-plate Connections of Steel Tubular Structures

This paper summarized existing design methods and codes for flange-plate connections of steel tubular structures, and made design examples according to flange-plates’ four basic types. The computing results were compared with each other and related analysis was done. The focus of the comparison was on the thickness of flange-plates and number of high-strength bolts, which could reflect economical efficiency within the framework of safety. It turned out that the design methods put forward by GOU Xingwen etc. in China Metallurgical Corp for flange-plate connections under axial load and by the author of this paper for flange-plate connections under bending load could offer better results within the double constrains of economy and safety. Of course, the comparison may not be so accurate to meet stringent scientific criteria, but the results which are based on engineering practice can definitely provide useful references for related design.