ABSTRACT
The main objective of this study was to experimentally study the load and deformation capacities of the K-gap joints fabricated from rectangular cold-formed structural hollow sections (CFSHS) according to EN10219 and hot-formed structural hollow section (HFSHS) according to EN 10210. Semi-empirical design formulas found in most codes are based primarily on experimental results on joints performed in room temperatures. In this study the capacity of K-joints was defined experimentally using sections with high cold forming degree and performing the tests at temperatures from – 60 to + 20°C. Results showed that for properly designed joints, the plastic deformation capacity of the K-joints was greater than 1% of the chord width even at low temperatures. Design formulas in Eurocode 3 accurately estimated the load carrying capacity indicating that they can be applied also for cold-formed structural sections at low temperatures. No significant differences were found in deformation or load carrying capacities between CFSHS and HFSHS. This study reported here is part of the larger study involved in joint capacities made of CHSHS.
