Numerical analysis of welded aluminium T-stub joints under monotonic loading

This paper deals with the numerical simulation of aluminium alloy T-stub joints subjected to monotonic tensile loads. The numerical model, which has been developed by means of the non linear code ABAQUS, has been accurately calibrated on the basis of previous experimental test results related to 26 specimens, characterised by different geometry and connection type. In particular, four different geometries (by varying geometrical dimensions, plate thickness, number and location of the bolts), three aluminium alloys as base material and three types of bolts (including both aluminium and steel bolts) have been taken into consideration. Such parameters determine the modification of the connection response in terms of initial stiffness, ultimate strength and deformation capacity. The comparison with the experimental results shows that the proposed model is able to accurately reproduce the behaviour of the joint in all examined cases. Test results have been also compared with the ones derived from the application of the calculation method provided in the final version of Eurocode 9 (EN-1999-1-1), showing the reliability of the codified procedure, also in relation to a direct evaluation of the connection effective width (beff), as it is evidenced by the developed numerical simulations.