My firm is designing an SCBF with wide flange vertical bracing. In RAM Connection, I only see an option for bolted claw angle type connections. Does RAM Connection have the capability to design slotted flange plates bolted to the W shape flanges and welded to the gusset plate? There seems to be a similar connection for HSS members.
You can use claw angle or web plates (or both), but we don't have a slotted flange plate option for wide flange brace sections. If you have an code example send it over.
Answer Verified By: Quinton Sweitzer
It seems there is no code example for that type of connection. Another firm used it on the same project and it resulted in much smaller connection geometry. I think it ends up just being a modified version of the slotted flange plate for HSS brace sections.
I doubt there will ever be a code example for such a connection since AISC seems to prefer tube steel for bracing. Thanks for the information.