Numerical assessment of stainless steel tubular T-joints with chord preload

This study is focused on the numerical investigation of stainless steel tubular T-joints with chord preload. The developed finite element models were validated against experimental results. The tests previously reported by the authors comprised ten square hollow section T-joints with equal brace and chord widths ( β = 1): five joints with chord's height-to-thickness ratio ( 2 γ ) = 40 fabricated from 80 × 80 mm sections and five joints with 2γ = 20 fabricated from 40 × 40 mm sections, all with a wall thickness of 2 mm. Each joint configuration was subjected to tensile and compressive chord loading corresponding to 75%, 40%, and 0% of the chord cross-section resistance. The parametric study comprising 900 numerical simulations using the validated models, and the resulting data were compared with predictions from current design standards and formulations available in the literature. Based on the observations of the obtained results, a revised calculation methodology is proposed to reproduce the numerical response better. The results show that joint resistance decreases under chord compression, whereas under chord tension, a stress-relief effect occurs, leading to a smaller reduction in resistance. Furthermore, the design standards generally provide conservative resistance predictions compared with numerical results, whereas alternative formulations from the literature yield closer mean predictions but with greater relative scatter.