Create and design other connections

Note: These topics relate to the design of connections using either Tekla Connection Designer, or IDEA StatiCa; they do not cover checking of simple connection resistance, or checking of AISC/Eurocode base plates, which are separate topics.

Overview

Before connections can be designed in Tekla Structural Designer valid connection objects have to be created in the model. This is achieved by running Update connections from the Project Workspace. This applies a set of rules to create and organize connections into the following types:

Base plate connections - BS head code only

Note: Base plates to AISC or Eurocode head codes are handled differently, see: Column base plate design
Beam to beam moment connections
Beam to beam simple connections
Beam to column moment connections
Beam to column simple connections
Column splice connections
General connections

Valid connections are then displayed in the scene views and are also listed in the Connections tree.

Provided a license of Tekla Connection Designer is available, some of these can then be designed or exported to Tekla Connection Designer. If you have a license of IDEA StatiCa you can also export some types to that software for design.


Type	Connection Design Options
Base plate connections	Design Connection (BS head code only) Export to Tekla Connection Designer (BS head code only)
Beam to beam moment connections	Design Connection (Eurocode and BS head codes only) Export to Tekla Connection Designer (Eurocode and BS head codes only) Export to IDEA StatiCa
Beam to beam simple connections	Export to IDEA StatiCa
Beam to column moment connections	Design Connection (Eurocode and BS head codes only) Export to Tekla Connection Designer (Eurocode and BS head codes only) Export to IDEA StatiCa
Beam to column simple connections	Export to IDEA StatiCa
Column splices	Design Connection (Eurocode and BS head codes only) Export to Tekla Connection Designer (Eurocode and BS head codes only)
General Connections	Export to IDEA StatiCa

See also

Update connections

To create connection objects for the first time, or to recreate connections after changes to the model:

Click on the Connections tree in the Project Workspace
Right-click the Connections branch.
Choose Update Connections from the context menu.

This applies a set of rules to determine all valid steel connections in the model. The resulting connections are listed in the Connections Tree and are also shown by bounding boxes in the Scene Views.

Note: If the model has been changed so that new connections exist, these are not created automatically; you are required to update connections as required.

Design connections

Design using Tekla Connection Designer is initiated in one of two ways:

From the Project Workspace:
- Expand the appropriate branch in the Connections tree
- Right click on the required connection reference and choose Design connection from the context menu.
From a scene view:
- Right click on the connection object and choose Design connection from the context menu.