Whitmore Section and Block Shear Failure Analysis on a Bolted Gusset Plate using Finite Element Method

In order to determine the tensile capacity of a bolted gusset plate, the Block Shear capacity often came out as the most common failure. However, in the SNI 1729-2015, it's stated on a User Note in section J4-1 that an element under tension should be checked against the Whitmore Section criterion. The analysis done in this research paper compared these two failure criteria on a few case models of a bolted gusset plate under tensile stress. The Finite Element Method, with the assistance of ABAQUS software, is used to determine the failure of the modeled cases. The results of the analysis will compare all of the gusset plate's failure criteria of the Whitmore Section, Block Shear and the Finite Element Method. This paper proposes that the Whitmore Section check is deemed unnecessary in light of Block Shear criterion which proven by the FEM as the correct failure of the plate.