Xponexus Engineering

Gusset Plate Design Tool

Comprehensive Eurocode EN 1993-1-8 calculator for gusset plates in braced frames, trusses and moment connections. Covers plate gross/net section yielding, block shear, buckling (Thornton method), bolt group capacity, weld design, whitmore section, and connection geometry checks.

EN 1993-1-8 Whitmore Section Block Shear Thornton Buckling Bolt Groups Weld

Bolt group Weld check Buckling check Block shear

Scope note:
Preliminary design assistant aligned with EN 1993-1-8 §3, §6 and the Whitmore / Thornton method. Verify with National Annex, fabrication tolerances, and project-specific ductility requirements.

Gusset Plate Geometry

Define plate shape, dimensions and free-edge lengths.

Geometry

Plate dimensions Plate shape Width W (mm) Height H (mm) Tapered top width W_t (mm) Thickness t (mm) Free-edge length L_e (mm)

Le = longest unsupported free edge (used for buckling slenderness).

Connection geometry Connection type Brace angle θ (°) Offset e from work point (mm) Clearance distance Δ (mm) Plate orientation

θ = angle between brace centreline and horizontal.

Material Steel grade f_y (MPa) f_u (MPa) E (MPa) γM0 γM2 Section class

Design Actions (ULS)

Applied forces in brace / connected member.

Actions

Brace / member forces Axial force N_Ed (kN) N_Ed type In-plane shear V_Ed,ip (kN) Out-of-plane shear V_Ed,op (kN) In-plane moment M_Ed,ip (kNm) Out-of-plane moment M_Ed,op (kNm)

Force components (resolved) Horizontal component H_Ed (kN) Vertical component V_Ed (kN) Auto-resolve from N & θ? Ductility class Overstrength factor Ω (seismic)

For DCM/DCH multiply NEd by Ω before checks.

Whitmore section Whitmore angle α_w (°) L_bolt/weld – connection length (mm) Override Whitmore width L_w (mm, 0=auto)

L_w = L_member + 2·L_conn·tan(α_w). Standard α_w = 30°.

Bolt Group

Bolt layout, grade, shear plane and bearing resistances.

Bolts

Bolt arrangement Bolt rows m Bolts per row n Bolt pitch p₁ (mm) – along load Bolt gauge p₂ (mm) – transverse End distance e₁ (mm) Edge distance e₂ (mm) No. of shear planes n_sp

Bolt size & grade Bolt diameter d (mm) Bolt grade f_ub (MPa) f_yb (MPa) Hole type Hole diameter d₀ (mm, 0=auto) Packing thickness (mm)

Bearing & group method Connection category Bolt group analysis k_s (slip factor, Cat B/C) μ_slip (friction coefficient) Preload F_p,Cd (kN, 0=auto)

F_p,Cd = 0.7 × f_ub × A_s / γM7 for preloaded.

Weld Design

Gusset-to-supporting member fillet weld (EN 1993-1-8 §4).

Weld

Weld geometry Weld configuration Throat a_w (mm) Weld length each side L_w1 (mm) End weld length L_w2 (mm) Number of weld runs

Weld material & method Electrode class f_u,weld (MPa) β_w (correlation factor) γM2 (weld) Design method

f_vw,d = f_u / (√3 · β_w · γM2).

Weld to supporting member Supporting member type Supporting member t_s (mm) Supporting member f_y (MPa) Eccentricity e_w (mm)

ew = offset of load line from weld group centroid.

Net Section, Block Shear & Local Checks

Plate tearing, section capacity and local stress checks.

Capacity

Net area (bolt holes) No. holes in critical row n_h Hole dia d₀ for net area (mm) Staggered holes? Stagger s (mm) Gauge g (mm) A_gross override (mm², 0=auto)

Block shear path Shear area A_nt (net tension, mm²) Shear area A_nv (net shear, mm²) Gross shear area A_gv (mm²) Auto Ant/Anv from geometry?

V_eff,Rd = f_u·A_nt/γM2 + f_y·A_gv/(√3·γM0).

Buckling (Thornton method) Buckling length L_cr (mm) L_cr method l₁ (mm) l₂ (mm) l₃ (mm) Buckling curve

L_cr = (l₁+l₂+l₃)/3. Plate treated as strut over Whitmore width.

Additional Checks & Notes

Free edge buckling, connection to supporting member and project notes.

Detail

Free-edge buckling Edge stiffener? Slenderness limit c/t ≤ ε = √(235/f_y)

Free-edge slenderness b/t ≤ 15ε (EN 1993-1-1 Table 5.2). ε auto-computed.

Plate-to-member bearing Supporting member hole check? Supporting member thickness t_m (mm) Supporting member f_u (MPa) k₁ (bearing factor) α_b (bearing factor)

F_b,Rd = k₁·α_b·f_u·d·t / γM2 per bolt.

Project notes & overrides Weld minimum size a_min (mm) Weld maximum size a_max (mm) Design notes

Check Summary

Press "Run calculations" to evaluate.

ULS

Gross section yield

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Net section fracture

—

Whitmore section

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Plate buckling

—

Block shear

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Bolt group

—

Bolt bearing

—

Weld

—

Free-edge slenderness

—

Governing failure mode: —
PASS/FAIL based on worst utilisation ≥ 1.0.

Detailed Design Report

Intermediate values for transparency and verification.

Press "Run calculations" to generate report...