Common Connection Methods for Steel Structures

There are three kinds of steel structure connection methods: welding, riveting, and bolting.

                                        bolt ball

The current use of welding is the most common application; for high-strength bconnectionstion in recent years, the rapid development of the use of more and more rivet connections has been replaced by welding and high-strength bconnectionstion, which is rarely used.

The respective characteristics are as follows:

1. Welding connection

Welding is through the heat generated by the arc so that the welding rod and the weldment localized melting. After cooling, it condensed into a weld, so that the welded parts connected into one.

Advantages: any form of components can generally be directly connected, without weakening the component cross-section. Material economy, simple structure, easy to manufacture and process, connect the rigidity of large, good sealing performance, automation can be realized, high production efficiency.

Disadvantages: the weld seam near the steel due to the formation of a high-temperature welding heat-affected zone, resulting in local material becoming brittle. Uneven high temperatures and cooling of the sample material during the welding process cause the structure to produce welding residual stress and residual deformation, which has a certain effect on the bearing capacity, stiffness, and performance of the structure. In addition, in welded steel structures due to the stiffness, local cracks once occurred easy to expand to the whole, especially in the low temperature is prone to brittle fracture. Moreover, the plasticity and toughness of the weld are poor and may produce defects when blowing, which reduces the fatigue strength.

2. Willow nail connection　　

A rivet connection is one end with a prefabricated head of the rivet, inserted into the nail holes of the connected components, the use of rivet guns or riveting machines, and the other end of the pressure into a closed nail head. So that the connection is riveted to form a solid connection. Rivet connection is characterized by reliable force transmission, plasticity, and toughness, quality is easy to check and ensure that can be used to bear the dynamic load of the heavy structure, but its structure is complex, costs steel and labor, poor labor conditions, high cost, has been rarely used.

3. Bolt connection　　

Bolt connections can be divided into ordinary bolt connections and high-strength bolt connections. The advantage of bolt connection is that; the construction process is simple, easy to install, and especially suitable for site installation connection. The disadvantage is that because the open hole on the cross-section of the member has a certain weakening, and is connected to the plate need to lap each other or another set of connectors such as splices. Therefore, more material than welding. In addition, the screw connection needs to make holes in the plate, increasing the workload.