Static behavior of offshore two-planar tubular KT-joints under axial loading at fire-induced elevated temperatures

A total of 540 nonlinear steady-state finite element analyses were performed to study the influence of temperature and dimensionless geometrical parameters (β, γ, θ, and τ) on the ultimate strength, failure modes, and initial stiffness of two-planar tubular KT-joints. The joints were analyzed under two types of axial loading and five different temperatures (20 °C, 200 °C, 400 °C, 550 °C, and 700 °C). So far, there has not been any equation available for calculating the ultimate strength of two-planar tubular KT-joints at elevated temperatures. Hence, after parametric study, a set of design formulas were developed through nonlinear regression analyses, to calculate the ultimate strength of two-planar tubular KT-joints subjected to axial loading at elevated temperatures.