ABSTRACT
The elliptical hollow section, the most recent in the family of tubular elements, allows light and transparent design in steel structures. Welded connections between such elements are not covered by the existing standards and recommendations. When the authorities’ approval is required for their design, experimental or numerical approaches have to be followed. This method was used to establish the load-bearing capacity of a joint included in a truss girder: an experimental test was successfully carried out on this connection and a computer model was calibrated. Furthermore, other simpler welded joints were tested in pure tension and compression and simulated numerically. In parallel with this work, theoretical investigations were initiated which should progressively lead to the development of analytical design formulae.
