Thin RHS-channel welded cross-beams under cyclic bending

Research on welded galvanized cross-beam connections has been reported previously with a focus on rectangular hollow section, RHS-RHS and RHS-Angle connections. This paper describes the fatigue tests under cyclic bending and the corresponding stress measurements that were carried out on RHS-Channel cross-beam connections. The resultant failure modes during the fatigue tests are reported. Crack growth patterns are studied in relation to the stress concentration factors (SCFs) from a sample specimen. The resultant RHS-Channel S-N data is compared to S-N data from previous research. A comparison of the S-N data with existing fatigue design curves in the Australian Standard, AS4600, gives an indication of the possible class that may be adopted for the fatigue design of RHS-Channel cross-beam connections under cyclic bending.