Turnbuckle / Clevis / Pin Grades

The Turnbuckle / Clevis / Pin Grades screen lets you define a new steel grade so that you can assign it as the Steel grade to a turnbuckle, clevis or pin. You can also use it to edit existing steel grades. These settings are stored for your currently selected Connection design method.
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The columns shown here are for the latest AISC Connection design method. Additional columns are shown if the AS4100 or Eurocode is the selected connection design method.
  • Warning: Changing any steel grade definition (for example, changing line 3) assigns the new definition to all materials that had been assigned the previous definition. Since a steel grade is assigned to a material by its line number (index), this means that if you switch line 3 with line 4, the steel grades of existing materials using those definitions will also be switched.

Available Settings by Design Method

Screen Columns When Shown  
ASD/LRFD/CISC Line number, Steel Grade, Nonstandard Notation, Fy, Fu shown when an ASD, LRFD, or CISC Connection design method is selected.
AS4100 Line number, Steel Grade, Nonstandard Notation, Fy, Fu, Minimum Thickness, Maximum Thickness shown when AS 4100 is the Connection design method.
Eurocode Line number, Steel Grade, Nonstandard Notation, Fy, Fu, Minimum Thickness, Maximum Thickness, Correlation Factor shown when EUROCODE3 or EUROCODE3 UK is the Connection design method.

Settings

Line number: The index number (a positive integer) of the steel grade -- see the warning. The top and bottom clevises, turnbuckle(s) and clevis pins of a rod brace are assigned the steel grade entered to line 1 on this screen.

To move a line up or down in priority: Left-click to select the line and hold down the left-mouse button, then drag the line up or down.

Steel Grade: Any text string (up to 29 characters) to denote the name of the steel grade (e.g., A108, A493, Peter, Joe, whatever name you want). Steel grades entered here are selectable ( ) as the Clevis pin grade (a connection design lock for rod braces), the Steel grade for turnbuckle material, and the Clevis grade for clevis material.

Nonstandard Notation: Any text string (up to 29 characters) to denote that a particular steel grade is not the standard steel grade.

For submaterials: A callout is generated next to that material's submaterial piecemark callout on the member detail when Home > Project Settings > Fabricator > Piecemarking > Member and Material Piecemarking > Submaterial > Show non-std grade notation with piecemarks on member details is checked. The callout will consist of the steel grade if you do not enter a Nonstandard Notation. If, on the other hand, a Nonstandard Notation has been entered, that notation would be called out instead of the steel grade. For example, you might enter Non Std as a Nonstandard Notation.

Minimum Thickness & Maximum Thickness (AS4100 and Eurocode): These columns let you assign Fy (yield strength) and Fu (ultimate strength) values to a steel grade based on the diameter of the pin.

Fy: The yield strength of the steel grade. If you are using imperial dimensioning, yield strength is measured in kips/sq. inch (ksi). If you are using metric dimensioning, yield strength is measured in megapascals (MPa) Connection design evaluates Fy and Fu values for clevis pins only. Clevis and turnbuckle strengths come from the item's Capacity in Shapes Properties. Connection design locks are available for setting the Clevis pin grade (bottom clevis) and Clevis pin grade (top clevis) on a rod brace.

Fu: The ultimate strength of the steel grade. If you are using imperial dimensioning, ultimate strength is measured in kips/sq. inch (ksi). If you are using metric dimensioning, ultimate strength is in megapascals (MPa). Connection design evaluates Fy and Fu values for clevis pins only. Clevis and turnbuckle strengths come from the item's Capacity in Shapes Properties. Connection design locks are available for setting the Clevis pin grade (bottom clevis) and Clevis pin grade (top clevis) on a rod brace.

Correlation Factor (Eurocode): The appropriate correlation factor (ß w ) taken from Table 4.1 in BS EN 1993-1-8: 2005, Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures. The factor is used in calculations for fillet welds.

  • The position of these form buttons on the screen tells you what settings they apply to. Click here for more information.
  • You can Copy ( ) the settings on this screen , then Paste ( ) those settings to a different screen of the same type.
  • Save ( ) saves a file to a global folder ( ) that is used by your current version of SDS2. Give the file a name that will help other users identify its purpose. Load ( ) replaces the settings on this screen with the settings that are stored in the file that you select.
  • When editing multiple screens at the same time, Paste and Load replace mixed entries to a single field with a single entry. Copy and Save ignore fields with mixed entries, treating them as if they have no entry or do not exist.

OK (or the Enter key) closes this screen and applies the settings.

Cancel (or the Esc key) closes this screen without saving any changes.

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

  • Cut ( Ctrl + x ), copy ( Ctrl + c ) and paste ( Ctrl + v ) are available to help you more quickly edit steel grades.
  • To delete one or more lines, left-click to select the line(s), then right-click and select "Erase selected steel grades".
  • If you want connection design to create a rod brace, you can enter round bar material as a vertical brace Section size. The rod brace's top and bottom clevises, turnbuckle(s) and clevis pins are assigned the steel grade entered to line 1 on this screen.
  • The Fy and Fu values on this screen are used by connection design of rod bracing for evaluating the strength of a clevis pin of a particular Clevis pin grade (bottom clevis) or Clevis pin grade (top clevis). The Capacity (nominal strength) of a clevis and turnbuckle used in a rod brace is stored in the local shape file.
  • Red or yellow exclamation point icons ( or ) indicate that a setting field is required to be filled out or corrected before the settings can be accepted by clicking OK. Hover your mouse cursor over the icon to make a tooltip appear with more information.