The Flange Plate Clearances setup window ( Job Settings )

This window can set clearances for a bolted moment flange plate or a wide flange horizontal brace bottom gusset or a vertical brace paddle plate .

Also see :

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To open Flange Plate Clearances :

Method 1 : Home > Project Settings > Job > Design > Flange Plate Clearances .

Methods 2, 3 & 4 : In Modeling or the Drawing Editor , choose Settings > Job Settings > Flange Plate Clearances (classic), or use a keyboard shortcut , or click the icon.

Note: If a password has been set using the Change Setup Password utility, you can open this window only if you first enter that exact password.

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Examples of gaps :

The " Gap " between the bottom flange of a wide flange brace and its moment connection flange plate.

The " Horizontal brace bottom gusset gap ."

The " Vertical brace paddle plate gap ."

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- ---- Moment connection flange plate clearances -----

 Applications: When it creates beam-to-column moment connections with bolted flange plates, connection design looks to this setup table to determine the erection clearance between the beam's flanges and the flange plates. In the model, the gap is shown at the bottom flange, and filler plates are not modeled. This setup table does not apply to beam-to-beam moment splice flange plates. 

Column 1: Less than or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or Larger than .

' Less than ' appears in the first row of column 1 of the schedule. The first row in this column lets you designate a weld gap for all beams with a nominal depth less than or equal to that listed in the " Nominal Depth " column.

Rows 2 to 5 let you set weld gaps for beams with the exact " Nominal Depth " specified in that row.

' Larger than ' appears in the final row of column 1 of the schedule. The last row in this column lets you designate a weld gap for all beams with a nominal depth greater than or equal to that listed in the " Nominal Depth " column.

Ways to move from cell to cell on the table: Point and click, use Tab and Shift+Tab , use the up/down arrow keys. Backspace can be used to erase characters. For more information, see text entry widgets .

Nominal Depth: The depth ( nominal ) of the beam. This applies to beams whose " Section size " is a flanged shape such as wide flange, welded plate wide flange or S shape.

Typically a beam's nominal depth is different from (although close to) the actual depth of the beam.

Note: Each section size has a " Nominal depth " associated with it in the local shape file . This is the nominal depth that connection design will use for a particular section size.

Gap: The erection clearance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) between the bolted moment connection flange plate and the beam flange that the plate field bolts to. This gap is, by default, 1/4 inch (6 mm) for each " Nominal Depth ." Click here for another example.

Effect on Modeling: Connection design applies this gap to beam-to-column moment connections with bolted flange plates.

Gap location: Top or Bottom or Both .

' Top ' places the " Gap " between the top flange of the beam and the top flange plate.

' Bottom ' applies the " Gap " between the bottom flange of the beam and the bottom flange plate.

' Both ' applies the same " Gap " distance that is entered to both the top and bottom flanges of the beam.

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Maximum gap for a single filler: A clearance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ). If the " Gap " in a bolted moment connection with slip critical bolts is greater than this maximum gap, connection design employs in its calculations the assumption that multiple filler plates will be used, resulting in the "effect on modeling" that is described below.

Note: If the " Maximum gap... " is the same as or greater than the " Gap " for a particular " Nominal Depth ," the maximum gap will not be exceeded, and therefore connection design will not assume that multiple filler plates are used.

Effect on Modeling: These filler plates are not modeled. However, the entry made to this field may change the design slip resistance and consequently the number of bolts designed. See the AISC Steel Construction Manual, Fourteenth Edition , pp. 16.1-126 and 16.1-127.

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--- ---- Wide flange brace plate gaps -------

When it creates vertical braces with paddle plates or horizontal braces with top and bottom flange gussets, connection design looks to these settings to determine the appropriate clearances.

Horizontal brace bottom gusset gap: The clearance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) between the wide flange or S shape horizontal brace's bottom gusset and its bottom flange. This applies to wide flange or S shape horizontal braces that do not have a fill plate on their bottom flange. Connection design may decrease the gap that is entered here to prevent the plate from clashing with the supporting beam's bottom flange. Click here for another example.

Warning: The maximum " Shop bolt gap " or " Field bolt gap " needs to be as large as the gap that is entered here if you want connection design to be able to insert bolts through the gap.

Vertical brace paddle plate gap: The clearance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) between the wide flange , S shape or welded plate wide flange vertical brace's top/bottom paddle plate and its top/bottom flange. The distance entered here is applied to each of the two gaps. Click here for another example.

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To close Flange Plate Clearances :

   

"OK" (or the Enter key) closes the Flange Plate Clearances window and saves the settings on it to the Job Settings file of your current Job .

Note: If you want changes to this window applied to particular members, you can Process Selected Members then Process and Create Solids . Or you can Mark Members for Processing then Process and Create Solids .

"Cancel" (or the Esc key or the button) closes this window without saving any changes made to it.

"Reset" undoes all changes made to this window since you first opened it. The window remains open.

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