Heavy brace (165)

Heavy brace (165) connects a single brace to a gusset plate where two parts meet to form a corner.

Objects created

Gusset plate
Connection plates (flange and web)
Rib plates
Shim plates (flange and web)
Stiffeners
Bolts
Welds

Use for


Situation	Description
	Gusset plate is welded to the column. Brace web is bolted to the gusset plate with a connection plate. Rib plates are indicated with 1 in the image. Column or beam profile: RHS, tube, I Brace profile: H

Do not use for

Sloped or skewed beams

Before you start

Create two parts that meet to form a corner, and one brace.

Selection order

Select the first part that forms the corner.
Select the first brace.
Select the second and subsequent braces.
Select the second part that forms the corner.
Click the middle mouse button to create the component.

Part identification key


	Description
1	Gusset plate
2	Connection plate
3	Rib plate
4	Stiffener

Picture tab

Use the Picture tab to define the dimensions of the gusset plate and the rib plate, and the clearance between the plate and the brace.

Dimensions


	Description
1	Vertical dimension of the gusset plate
2	Rib plate edge dimension from the main part
3	Rib plate dimension to the gusset plate edge
4	Connection plate dimension to the gusset plate edge
5	Clearance between the gusset plate and the brace
6	Gusset plate length
7	Horizontal dimension of the gusset plate
8	Gusset plate edge dimension to the reference point
9	Secondary part edge dimension to the shim plate edge

Parts tab

Use the Parts tab to define the part properties.

Parts


Option	Description
Gusset plate	Thickness of the gusset plate
Flange plates	Thickness of the flange plates
Web plates	Thickness of the web plates
Rib plates	Thickness of the rib plates
Stiffener 1	Thickness of the stiffener
Stiffener 2	Thickness of the stiffener
Flange filler plates	Thickness of the flange shim plates The thickness of the shim plates depends on the gap between the connection plate and the brace flange or web, as shown in the table below.
Web filler plates	Thickness of the web shim plates The thickness of the shim plates depends on the gap between the connection plate and the brace flange or web, as shown in the table below.


Gap (mm)	Flange filler plate thickness	Web filler plate thickness
1	No plate	No plate
2	2.3	1.6
3	3.2	1.6
4	4.5	2.3
5	4.5	2.3
6	6.0	3.2
7	6.0	3.2
8	9.0	4.5
9	9.0	4.5
10	9	4.5


Option	Description	Default
Pos_No	Prefix and start number for the part position number. Some components have a second row of fields where you can enter the assembly position number.	The default part start number is defined in the Components settings in File menu > Settings > Options.
Material	Material grade.	The default material is defined in the Part material box in the Components settings in File menu > Settings > Options.
Name	Name that is shown in drawings and reports.

Gusset tab

Use the Gusset tab to define the gusset plate chamfers, and the gap between the gusset plate and the brace.

Gusset plate chamfers


Option	Description
	No chamfer
	Line chamfer Define the horizontal and vertical chamfer dimension.
	Concave chamfer Define the horizontal chamfer.
	Concave chamfer Define the horizontal and vertical chamfer.

Ribs tab

Use the Ribs tab to define the size and location of the rib plates.


Option	Description
Ribs same length	Select whether the rib plates have the same length.
Flange single plate	Select whether to create a single flange plate.

Plate length


	Description
1	Length of the first rib
2	Length of the second rib

Rib plate dimensions

Tekla Structures automatically calculates the following dimensions from the length of the rib plate and bolt group properties.

Define the following dimensions:


	Description
1	Horizontal rib dimension
2	Vertical rib dimensions
3	Horizontal rib dimension

Stiffeners tab

Use the Stiffeners tab to define the stiffener dimensions.

Stiffener length


	Description
1	Distance between the stiffener edge and the gusset plate edge
2	Length of the stiffener

Stiffener dimensions


	Description
1	Width of the stiffener.
2	Length of the stiffener base.
3	Length of the skew part of the stiffener.
4	Distance from the stiffener center line.
5	Vertical distance between the stiffener base and the skew part.

Web bolts tab

Use the Web bolts tab to define the bolt group dimensions and the properties of the bolts that fasten the web connection plate to the gusset plate.

Bolt group dimensions


	Description
1	Bolt edge distance. Edge distance is the distance from the center of a bolt to the edge of the part.
2	Number of bolts.
3	Bolt spacing. Use a space to separate bolt spacing values. Enter a value for each space between bolts. For example, if there are 3 bolts, enter 2 values.

Bolt basic properties


Option	Description	Default
Bolt size	Bolt diameter.	Available sizes are defined in the bolt assembly catalog.
Bolt standard	Bolt standard to be used inside the component.	Available standards are defined in the bolt assembly catalog.
Tolerance	Gap between the bolt and the hole.
Thread in mat	Defines whether the thread may be within the bolted parts when bolts are used with a shaft. This has no effect when full-threaded bolts are used.	`Yes`
Site/Workshop	Location where the bolts should be attached.	`Site`

Slotted holes

You can define slotted, oversized, or tapped holes.


Option	Description	Default
1	Vertical dimension of slotted hole.	`0`, which results in a round hole.
2	Horizontal dimension of slotted hole, or allowance for oversized holes.	`0`, which results in a round hole.
Hole type	Slotted creates slotted holes. Oversized creates oversized holes. No hole does not create holes. Tapped creates tapped holes.
Rotate Slots	When the hole type is Slotted, this option rotates the slotted holes.
Slots in	Part(s) in which slotted holes are created. The options depend on the component in question.

Bolt assembly

The selected check boxes define which component objects (bolt, washers, and nuts) are used in the bolt assembly.

If you want to create a hole only, clear all the check boxes.

To modify the bolt assembly in an existing component, select the Effect in modify check box and click Modify.

Bolt length increase

Define how much the bolt length is increased. Use this option when, for example, painting requires the bolt length to be increased.

Staggering of bolts


Option	Description
	Default Not staggered AutoDefaults can change this option.
	Not staggered
	Staggered type 1
	Staggered type 2
	Staggered type 3
	Staggered type 4

Flange bolts tab

Use the Flange bolts tab to define bolt group dimensions and the properties of the bolts that fasten the flange connection plate to the gusset plate.

Bolt group dimensions


	Description
1	Bolt edge distance. Edge distance is the distance from the center of a bolt to the edge of the part.
2	Number of bolts.
3	Bolt spacing. Use a space to separate bolt spacing values. Enter a value for each space between bolts. For example, if there are 3 bolts, enter 2 values.
4	Dimension for vertical bolt group position.

Bolt basic properties


Option	Description	Default
Bolt size	Bolt diameter.	Available sizes are defined in the bolt assembly catalog.
Bolt standard	Bolt standard to be used inside the component.	Available standards are defined in the bolt assembly catalog.
Tolerance	Gap between the bolt and the hole.
Thread in mat	Defines whether the thread may be within the bolted parts when bolts are used with a shaft. This has no effect when full-threaded bolts are used.	`Yes`

Slotted holes

You can define slotted, oversized, or tapped holes.


Option	Description	Default
1	Vertical dimension of slotted hole.	`0`, which results in a round hole.
2	Horizontal dimension of slotted hole, or allowance for oversized holes.	`0`, which results in a round hole.
Hole type	Slotted creates slotted holes. Oversized creates oversized holes. No hole does not create holes. Tapped creates tapped holes.
Rotate Slots	When the hole type is Slotted, this option rotates the slotted holes.
Slots in	Part(s) in which slotted holes are created. The options depend on the component in question.

Staggering of bolts


Option	Description
	Default Not staggered AutoDefaults can change this option.
	Not staggered
	Staggered type 1
	Staggered type 2
	Staggered type 3
	Staggered type 4

Defining plate sizes in marketsizes.dat

In the Japanese environment, Heavy brace (165) takes the default thickness values for several plates from the marketsizes.dat file, located in the \profil\ folder. This file lists the standard plate thicknesses available in specific material grades. Edit this file by using any standard text editor, such as Notepad.

Note: Enter a thickness value on the Parts tab to override the default value for any plate.

Example

In this example, the marketsizes.dat file lists the standard plate thicknesses available in material grade SS400. The DEFAULT line lists the thicknesses available in all other material grades.

# Market size (thickness) table 
 # Specify the material as given in Tekla Structures material database 
 # and after that the market sizes separated by commas 
 SS400,1.6,2.3,3.2,4.5,6,9,12,16,19,22,25,28,32,38 
 DEFAULT,6,9,12,16,19,22,25,28,32,38

marketsizes.dat file

General tab

Click the link below to find out more:

General tab

Design tab

Click the link below to find out more:

Design tab

Analysis tab

Click the link below to find out more:

Analysis tab

Welds

Click the link below to find out more:

Create welds