Tensile strength of bolted ring-type splices of solid round leg members of guyed communication towers.

Bolted ring-type splices are very common in guyed communication towers using solid round legs 65 mm in diameter or smaller, but there is no guidance provided in either the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction Handbook of steel construction or the American Institute of Steel Construction Manual of steel construction for the design of such splices. Eighteen ring-type splices (three groups of six specimens each) were tested and experimental failure loads were determined. Based on the test results, it is concluded that it is unsafe to ignore the eccentricity of the splice. It is suggested that the load at first yield be conservatively taken as the strength of the splice. A simplified design method is proposed that takes into account the eccentricity of the splice, and the results from the proposed method agree closely with the experimental values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]