Moment capacity of cold-formed steel trusses with Howick Rivet Connectors: Tests, modelling and design
Wei Wang, Krishanu Roy, Hooman Rezaeian, Zhiyuan Fang, James B.P. Lim
Abstract
Cold-formed steel (CFS) trusses are increasingly used in lightweight building construction. A new type of pin-jointed connector, known as the Howick Rivet Connectors (HRCs), has been developed for CFS trusses. Previous studies focused on testing T-stub connections and shear strengths of CFS trusses with HRCs, providing insights into their structural performance and shear capacity. This paper extends the research by testing ten new CFS trusses with HRCs to determine their moment capacity. The study involved two different cross-sections: lipped channel sections and hat sections, used as truss chords. Variations in the number and locations of lateral supports were introduced to simulate different boundary conditions. A parametric study explored the effects of span-height ratio and variability in lateral support locations on truss strength and failure modes. Finally, the trusses with lipped section chords were designed according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI 2016) and Australia/New Zealand standards (AS/NZS 2018), achieving an average test-to-design strength ratio of 0.86. • A total of 10 new cold-formed steel (CFS) trusses equipped with Howick Rivet Connectors (HRCs) were conducted. • A parametric study was conducted which investigate the effects of the span-height ratio and the number of lateral supports. • The design methods based on the standards AISI 2016 and AS/NZS 2018 were used to predict the capacity of these trusses with HRCs.