Influence of distance between outer tubes in bolted sleeve connections under compression

Resumo

The sleeve connection with circular hollow sections(CHS) allows a harmony in the continuity of tubular
profiles, becoming a discreet connection in the real structure and contributing to a new aesthetic identity for
connections between these steel profiles. This connection was proposed to facilitate the execution and
maintenance, reduce costs and enable other projects of the structures formed by CHS. This work presents a
numerical study about the influence of distance between outer tubes in sleeve connections, with aligned bolts,
under compression. Possible failure modes and the values necessary for the efficient operation of the connection
without the possibility of outer tubes touching, changing the behavior of the connection, were evaluated. The study
was carried out by a numerical analysis using the finite element method (FEM) in a commercial software, allowing
the geometric parameters variations. With the study results, it was possible to evaluate the behavior of sleeve
connection and to define a minimum distance between the outer tubes, contributing to the dimensioning and
assembly of the connection in truss systems.