Design Theory

Connection Design Methodology

Connections are designed on a per-node basis and consider all strength and serviceability requirements of your selected design code.

The current design code options are:

  • AISC 360-22 – AISC 16th Edition Design Manual (ASD)

  • AISC 360-22 – AISC 16th Edition Design Manual (LRFD)

  • CISC 12th Edition Design Manual

  • EN 1993-1-8 -Eurocode 3

The design solution checks all required limit states according to your design code as well as checking and revising the design to account for proper constructability. Most design solutions today lack this critical functionality, resulting in designs that cannot be constructed. The Connexis design engine is powered by 40 years of steel connection design and fabrication excellence from SDS2. Connexis designs connections with complete consideration of the full 3D node. In Connexis, a 3D node is known as the Connection Cube. All connection designs within a Connection Cube are optimized and adjusted to ensure that they meet strength and constructability requirements.

In summary, all connections are checked to ensure they:

  • Meet design code strength and serviceability requirements.

  • Can be built in a fabricator's shop.

  • Can be erected into place at the construction site.

Future versions of Connexis will include full calculation output reports to explicitly show all connection assumptions, calculations, and code references. A package of validation problems will also be created to easily compare and check the program’s solutions.

% UAL Loading Methodology

The initial release of Connexis will design connections based on the Uniform Allowable Loading Methodology that is common practice for detailers and fabricators when using the AISC Design Manual. This means that connections are designed for member end loads equal to the equivalent applied load resulting from 50% of the uniform allowable load of all members supported at the connection.

The uniform allowable load (UAL) or uniform distributed load (UDL) is the constant distributed load that will cause a braced, simply supported beam to reach its available flexural strength bent about its major axis. You can find the Maximum Total Uniform Load for W, S, C, or MC-Shapes in AISC 360 Tables 3-6 through 3-9. This value is the UDL times the span length. Future versions of Connexis will allow the user to opt to enter manual applied loads or import them directly from their structural analysis model.