Square Aluminum Tubes Bent about a Diagonal Axis

Dr. Craig C.
Dr C Menzemer
Mr. Dave White
The University of Akron

In conjunction with HAPCO

July 2009
Objectives
j

y Review test data for aluminum tubes

y S
Summarize
i steps used
d in
i data
d analysis
l i
y Aluminum Design Manual – terminology, limit states, allowable
stresses
y Results of data analysis
y Design Recommendations
Test Data – Square
q Aluminum Tubes

y Square tubes with rounded corners; 4 x 0.125 in; 5 x 0.188 in; 6 x

0 25 in,
0.25 in 6.625
6 625 x 0.25
0 25 in
y Square tubes with sharp corners; 6 x 0.188; 6 x 0.25 in
y Alloy 6063-T6, welded with 4043 filler and solution heat treated to
T6 condition
d
y Tubes randomly taken from different lots of material
y Test specimen
p lengths
g varied from 16 – 27 ft
y Square tubular members tested in bending about the diagonal and
geometric axis: 36 tests conducted, 6 on each type
y 29 failed by local buckling,
buckling 2 rounded corner tubes by tensile failure
in HAZ, 4 in casting/weld (3 in sharp corner tube - diagonal), 1
through loading hole
y Average test results reported
Aluminum Tube Test Set-
Set-Upp
Test Results - Continued

Tube Size Test Average Moment (ft-lbs) Failure

Direction
4 x 0.125 Diagonal 5909 Buckle
4 x 0.125 Geometric 6131 Buckle
5 x 0.188
0 88 Diagonal 13185
3 8 Buckle
5 x 0.188 Geometric 13024 Buckle
6 x 0.188 Diagonal 23657 Buckle
6 x 0.188 Geometric 24479 Buckle/Hole
6 x 0.25 Diagonal 28310 Buckle
6 x 0.25
0 25 Geometric 27840 Buckle
6.625 x 0.25 Diagonal 31340 Tension
6.625 x 0.25 Geometric 31860 Buckle/Tension
6 x 0.25 S Diagonal 30490 Base/Weld
6 x 0.25 S Geometric 32600 Buckle
Analysis
y Procedure and Background
g

y Evaluate interaction equation and reduce to simple form for specific

test co
conditions
to s
y Calculate slenderness of tube elements
y Evaluate buckling coefficients for 6063-T6 for minimum guaranteed
yyield strength
g and averageg measured yield
y strengths
g
y Calculate allowable stress as smallest of tension in element bending in
own plane, uniform tension on wall, uniform compression on wall,
compression in element bending in own plane
y Calculate design moment for geometric axis based on smallest
allowable stress
y Use form of interaction equation to calculate a maximum applied
moment due to wind about diagonal that will result in the allowable
stress on element
y Calculate ratio of average test moment to maximum applied moment
about diagonal
Stress Condition for Square Tubes

y Compressed Element Compressed Elements

Diagonal Bending
y Geometric, 1 Component
Analysis
y Assumptions
p

y Factor of safety for aluminum components on yielding is 1.65 –

building and similar type structures
y Allowable moments calculated for a geometric axis as for steel
tubes
y Aluminum D
Al Design M
Manuall inelastic
l buckling
b kl coefficients
ff bbased
d on
tangent modulus concept
y Approach outlined good for square tubes with slenderness less
than S1 or between S1 and S2
y Ranges may be considered as “yielding” and “inelastic buckling”
y Slenderness ggreater than S2 is elastic bucklingg
 Inelastic Bucklingg of Aluminum Elements
Inelasstic Buckliing Stress

Bp

Bp - κ D
 Dp(b/t)
(b/ )

Slope = Dp

Slenderness, b/t

Note: κ depends on specific conditions

 Bucklingg of Aluminum Elements

Fcy/n
Stress

[[Bp – κDp((b/t)]/n
)]
Allowable

Euler or post buckling strength

A

S1 S2
Slenderness, b/t
Interaction Formula
α α
⎛ MX ⎞ ⎛ MY ⎞
⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ + ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = 1
⎝ M allowX ⎠ ⎝ M allowY ⎠

2
M X = MY = M applied
2
M allowX = M allowY = M allow

Substitute, reduce
α
⎛ 2 ⎞
⎜ M applied ⎟
2⎜ 2 ⎟ =1
⎜ M allow ⎟
⎜ ⎟
⎝ ⎠
Interaction Formula

S ≤ S1
α = 1.6
M allow
M applied =
1.091
S1 < S ≤ S 2
α =1
M allow
M applied
l d =
1.414
Stress Condition – Bucklingg Coefficients,, Plastic Bendingg

y Buckling coefficient for uniform vs. gradient;

1 63(b/ )/1 17 (b/t)=
1.63(b/t)/1.17 (b/ ) 1.39
1 39 [Sh
[Sharp 1996].
1996]
y Condition more severe for considering uniform compression of
element
y Stress – strain curve for aluminum gives rise to 2 shape factors, one
for yielding and one for ultimate
y Elastic, pperfectlyy plastic
p shape
p factor = 1.13. For square
q aluminum
tubes, Zy = 1.1, Zu = 1.1
Analysis
y Results

4.5
Me/Mmxw 25 ksi
4

Me/Mmxw 26.9 ksi

3.5
Ratio Mexp/Mmaxw

3 Me/Mmxw 31.3 ksi

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
4 x 1/8 5 x 3/16 6 x 3/16 6 x 1/4 6 5/8 x 1/4 6 x 1/4
Tube Size
Observations

y The average ratio of the experimental moment to allowable applied

moment ratios for the six types of tubes are all greater than 2.0.
2 0 In
no case was the ratio less than 1.6.
y Allowable stresses for 6063-T6 were used and incorporated a
factor of safety of 1.65
1 65
y A mixture of tubes with slenderness in the yielding and inelastic
buckling range were used
y Calculations using the interaction equation appear to be
conservative
y Square tubes with sharp corners failed by tension in the base or
weld when loaded about the diagonal
Recommended Specification
p Provisions

y Bending of Square Tubes

y SSquare tubes
b shall
h ll meet the
h design
d i requirements
i for
f bending
b di about
b
the geometric axes. In addition, tubes shall be designed for bending
about a skewed axis.
Recommended Specification
p Provisions ((Continued))

y For tubes with all elements S ≤ S1 α = 1.6

y Fb = Fcy/n
/ y
y For tubes with elements S1< S ≤ S2 α = 1.0
y Fb = Table 6-3