Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian Robinson
Hadn't run the numbers - too lazy to do the structural analysis.
Very interesting .... I might just be starting lean back towards a steel pier (for the Atlux anyway). I might be able to talk the local muffler guy into doing my welding for me if I do .
I've a gut feeling that if the tube is structural (thick walled Carbon Steel rather than Mild Steel) and the flanges (top and bottom are welded for a rigid (as opposed to semirigid) hold (full penetration butt welds rather than spot or tack welds (?) that lead to low rigidity and too much elasticity) and the flanges are thick enough , then gussets are not required. Been a while since I've done steel structure design and fab engg (over 10 yrs) .... do you agree ?
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Mild steel is fine. Its the same stiffness as carbon steel, but just won't handle the same stresses - but that's not our problem with a pier.
(BTW Mild steel is carbon steel, too , it's just low carbon steel
).
Full continuous welds all round are the go, but there's nothing wrong with a fillet weld for a pier either
. Full penetration prepared welds are only necessary for highly stressed and/or fatigue loaded components - which the pier isn't
.
If you can keep the width of the flange less than 4x (5x max) the flange thickness, you'll be fine
. There's no gussets on my pier.
Al.