Study on the mechanical performances of aluminum assembled hub joints under axial loads

Abstract

The axial performances of a novel prefabricated joint system, the aluminum assembled hub (AAH) joint, are studied thoroughly in this study. The theoretical solutions of the axial capacities and axial stiffness are derived by the component method and further verified by full-scale tests and parametric analysis results. The tension case and the compression case are considered separately. The proposed theoretical solutions, including the bearing capacities and initial stiffness of AAH joints, match well with the experimental and simulation results, which are useful for preliminary estimation of the axial performances of the new joint system in real design. Four failure modes were detected in the tension tests: shear failure of the thread, crack of the flange of the rectangular tube, fracture of the connector flange and bending failure of the connector web. In contrast, the failure of joints is caused by excessive deformation of the hollow hub in the compression test. The bearing capacity and initial stiffness of AAH joints under compression are significantly higher than those under tension. This study provides theoretical guidance for the popularization and application of AAH joints in aluminum latticed structures.