Gusset Plate [SIG]
- Omer Faruk Ozkan
- Melis Ceylan
The gusset plate has no impact on the finite element model and is only used for design and 3D visualization purposes. However, if you apply ‘Stiffener/Gusset Plate Load' in the 'Girder Construction’ object, the weight of the gusset plate will act as a point load on the girder during the construction stage.
The gusset plates defined here will be set in the gusset plate tab of the Cross Frames.
Plate
Connection Type [BOLTED/WELDED]: There are two connection types. One is 'BOLTED' and the other is 'WELDED'.
Section: This parameter can be used to assign the gusset plate’s section. A section can either be assigned from a previously imported gusset plate or be imported.
Cross Frame Gusset Plate Sections database is created solely for this purpose.
One important thing here is that sections are previously defined for five categories, and although the shapes can be manipulated, choosing the correct category is vital in order for gusset plates to be generated at the intended locations.
When positioning the gusset plates at the Top Left, Bottom Left, and Center points, it should be remembered that the reference point is ‘(0,0)’. The bolt arrangement and bolt offsets will be determined based on this reference (0,0) point . Additionally, the offset inputs of the gusset plate in the cross frame (vertical and horizontal) will also be determined according to this reference (0,0) point. When defining a custom shape, attention should be paid to the reference point.
Thickness: This parameter specifies the thickness of the gusset plate.
Bolt
Bolts for gusset plates can be defined using the parameters in this tab. For each category, the bolts will be defined with respect to the (0,0) reference point.
Bolt Property: Should be set to a previously defined 'Bolt Property' under Properties.
Bolt Arrangement: This is an input in the form of a list, where each element represents the number of bolts per column.
Vertical Distance Between Bolt Center and Reference Point: For each section, the point (0,0) is the reference point. To define the bolt's location in the vertical direction with respect to the reference point (0,0), this parameter can be used.
Horizontal Distance Between Bolt Center and Reference Point: For each section, the point (0,0) is the reference point. To define the bolt's location in the horizontal direction with respect to the reference point (0,0), this parameter can be used.
Spacing Between Rows: The center-to-center distance for bolts in adjacent rows can be specified using this parameter.
Spacing Between Columns: The center-to-center distance for bolts in adjacent columns can be specified using this parameter.
Bolt Group Rotation From Reference Point: To rotate the bolts from the central axis with respect to the reference point, this parameter can be used.
Reference Points of Gusset Plates
For Category : Top- Left Plate
Display Settings
Show Bolts [YES/NO]: If this parameter is set to 'NO,' the bolts will not be displayed. Otherwise, the bolts will be shown within the model.However, enabling this option increases the triangulation number, leading to slower performance. To reduce compile time, disabling the detailing option can be helpful.