Stress analysis of axially loaded T tubular joints reinforced with doubler plates

Abstract

Reinforcing tubular joints using doubler plates has been a common industrial practice as a last minute solution to resolve punching shear problems due to axial compression. However, such reinforcements may have negative effects when the joints are subject to different loading conditions. A parametric stress analysis of T reinforced welded round-to-round tubular joints subjected to axial tension has been performed using the finite element technique. Sixteen sets of geometric parameters were used for the parametric study by varying three parameters, namely, doubler plate to chord thickness ratio, t p T , brace diameter to doubler plate length (width) ratio, d l p , and brace to doubler plate thickness ratio, t t p . The said study shows that t p T and t t p have significant effects on stress concentration factors but not d l p . The present results for T reinforced tubular joints are compared with those for the corresponding unreinforced joints obtained by the authors and other researchers. In general, the reinforced joints are as good as the corresponding unreinforced joints in withstanding axial tensioning, provided that certain criteria for the selection of doubler plates are adopted.