Stepped Column Connection

[whymrg]

According to "Menual of Steel Construction" Volume II "Connections" (1992) "... the designer needs to give carefull attention to the problem of developing suitable connections for stepped columns, where the upper shaft is spliced to the lower shaft..." (p. 7-20).

AISC Steel Design Guide Series #7 "Industrial Buildings. Roofs to Column Anchorage" has good section on design of stepped columns, but does not cover this splice.

Any information how to design this splice?

Thanks.

 

[phuduhudu]

Whenever you have something out of the ordinary it is best to go back to basics to design it. When you talk about stepped columns do you mean a smaller steel H-section on top of a larger one? Why not weld a cap plate on the larger section below. The upper column should have a base plate welded to it and the two plates can then be bolted together. The lower column cap plate may well need vertical stiffeners to transfer the load from the plate to the web or flanges of the column.
Carl Bauer

http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com