Stress concentration factors for multiplanar joints in RHS

Hollow sections are most suitable for welded connections between members. The welding procedure is fairly straightforward in RHS, because they do not require profiling which is necessary for circular hollow sections. Although many multiplanar and uniplanar joints in structures are present, limited evidence is available for the fatigue behaviour of joints made of rectangular hollow sections. This is especially for the fatigue behaviour of multi planar joints in square hollow sections which is the reason for setting up this research programme. An extensive experimental and numerical investigation was carried out for the determination of Stress and Strain Concentration Factors in Square Hollow Sections. This paper presents the numerical results for KK-multiplanar joints to demonstrate the influence of other braces.