Discover how you can overcome the drawbacks of complicated connections and welds with simple HSS connections.

About this event

Hollow Structural Steel (HSS) offers several advantages in structural design primarily due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, which enables them to bear significant loads while remaining lightweight - allowing for more efficient design with reduced material usage.

However, HSS remains underutilized in the construction industry due to the lack of clear understanding among structural designers and engineers on how to apply HSS in structural design. Common misconceptions include concerns about the difficulty of welding or connection design. Due to their hollow structure, HSS requires specialized connection details and techniques to ensure adequate strength and stiffness. This requirement can introduce complexities in the design and construction process.

Join Connor Conzelman, ClearCalcs’ Director of Customer Success, on Wednesday, June 7th, from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm Eastern Time (ET) as he engages in a conversation with Ted Goldstein, PE, Atlas Tube’s Business Development Engineer and inventor of Shuriken Connectors.

Shuriken Connectors represent Atlas Tube's latest revolutionary system for creating one-sided connections using standard bolts. They eliminate the need for complicated, one-sided fasteners and field-welding, simplifying the connection design process, saving time, and reducing the complexity of structural connections.

This webinar provides a unique opportunity to delve into the details of this innovative product and directly ask questions about how Shuriken Connectors can optimize your structural design.

In this webinar, we will cover:

• Introduction to Atlas Tube
• Overview of Shuriken Connectors and Their Common Applications
• What is a Shuriken Connector?
• Why use Shuriken Connector?
• Most suitable applications for Shuriken Connectors
• Considerations in designing with Shuriken Connectors
• Design example with Shuriken Connectors

Webinar Summary

The webinar titled "Shuriken Connectors by Atlas Tube and Their Applications in Structural Design" is hosted by ClearCalcs Director of Customer Success, Connor Conzelman, and presented by Ted Goldstein, PE., Business Development Engineer, Atlas Tube and inventor of Shuriken Connectors. ClearCalcs is a cloud-based structural calculations software that combines powerful FEA analysis with user-friendly tools for steel, wood, timber, concrete, and cold-formed steel. The webinar aims to discuss the applications of Shuriken connectors in structural design.

The Shuriken connector is not a fastener, but rather a disposable wrench that holds a nut on the inside or inaccessible side of a connection and allows for standard bolts to be installed from one side. The system aims to avoid field welding, which can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and introduce uncertainty when it comes to scheduling an inspection.

The reason for the invention of Shuriken Connectors is to take advantage of the benefits of HSS columns, such as better efficiency and compression, improved aesthetics, and simpler connections. The tool allows for the use of HSS in more than two or three stories without having to weld splices, which has been a significant impediment to the adoption of HSS.

Ted Goldstein discusses various applications of Shuriken connectors, including beam connections, moment connections, and structured connections. The connectors can be mounted in the shop and easily bolted in the field, avoiding the need for time-consuming and labor-intensive field welding. Goldstein also notes that Shuriken connectors can be purchased directly from Atlas Tube or through a distributor.

The current segment focuses on a basic Shuriken connection example using an HSS tube with splice plates and slip-critical bolts. The bolts have a capacity of 8.81 kips per bolt, and the connection passes all limit state checks for gross section yielding, tension rupture, net section rupture, and block shear.

The webinar then delves into the calculations involved in designing a Shuriken connector connection, including gross section yielding, net section rupture, and block shear. The effective area of the material is calculated by subtracting the number of holes times the area of a single hole, with a factor of 0.93 to account for the possibility of thinner walls. The splice plate capacity is also checked against gross section yielding and net section rupture.

Ted Goldstein explains the failure modes that typically control for HSS connections, including block shear and rupture. He also notes that the splice plates were sufficient by a wide margin, with everything being over two hundred kips. Interested parties can visit the Atlas Tube website to download the datasheet and request a sample.

Ted Goldstein answers questions from the audience during the webinar, including the minimum HSS size required for welding the shuriken and whether the connectors can be used in wet or corrosive atmospheres. He also discusses the possibility of using shuriken connectors in composite sections with filled concrete, stating that there should be no reason why it would affect the capacity of the arrangement.

During the Q&A session, a participant asked if Shuriken connectors meet the standards of the maritime industry, to which Ted Goldstein responded that they have not had an application in shipping yet but are willing to work with interested parties to understand the requirements and certifications needed. Additionally, ClearCalcs has recently added new features such as diaphragm analysis, custom wood sections, and an open web steel joist calculator, and they are looking for feedback from light commercial design teams to shape future priorities.