ABSTRACT
Elliptical hollow section (EHS) has its unique aesthetic features as compared with other hollow sectional shapes and may be favored by some architects. The application of elliptical hollow sections, however, may be limited by the partial knowledge of the structural performance of EHS joints. This paper presents the results of a numerical parametric study on the static strength of EHS X-joints subjected to brace axial compression. Circular hollow section (CHS) joints with the same brace and chord sectional areas as the EHS joints are analyzed to establish the validity of finite element method used in this study. The ring model is adopted to study the behavior of EHS joints with different configurations. The ultimate strengths of the EHS joints have been determined and compared with the corresponding CHS joints. It is found that with appropriate orientation of the brace and chord sections, EHS joints can have higher capacities than the corresponding CHS joints. The ring model is found to provide good explanations of the structural behavior of axially loaded EHS X-joints.
