The "Green Book" is designed for the "Simple Method" of structural design, which applies to braced frames where connections primarily carry shear and axial loads . It covers a wide range of connection types you'll encounter on a typical building project, including:
Provides (Resistance Tables) so engineers don't have to do manual calculations for every bolt.
If you are currently designing steel structures, ensure you are utilizing the latest revisions of SCI P358 and SCI P398 to guarantee your connections meet modern Eurocode safety criteria. I can provide more targeted information if you tell me:
While getting the official PDF is essential for learning, its true power comes to life in your design software. For example, Autodesk provides a for Revit based on the P358 publication . This library contains hundreds of pre-defined, code-compliant connection types you can apply directly to your model, slashing design and detailing time.
Modern structural engineering suites—including , Trimble Tekla Structural Designer , and Oasys Structural Software —integrate Green Book design checks directly into their software engines. These tools let engineers automatically verify connection capacities while working inside 3D building models.
The Green Book emphasizes practical fabrication:
The final section covers holding-down bolt assemblies and base plates subject to axial compression and bending. It includes simplified tables for:
Do you need help with a specific calculation, like or plate bearing ?
A massive section of the PDF is dedicated to non-preloaded and preloaded bolted assemblies (HR bolts). You will find capacity tables for:
The current edition (SCI P358) aligns with:
This volume covers connections that transmit shear forces and minimal axial forces, but do not transfer significant bending moments. These joints are assumed to act as flexible, nominal pins.
These feature a plate welded to the end of the beam in the workshop and bolted to the supporting member on-site. The plates are relatively thin (typically 8mm to 12mm) to ensure they remain flexible enough to prevent unwanted moment transfer. High shear capacity; cleaner aesthetic look.
When using the digital PDF versions of SCI P358 or SCI P398, engineers typically follow a structured workflow to size a joint: Extract the design shear force ( VEdcap V sub cap E d end-sub ) and/or bending moment ( MEdcap M sub cap E d end-sub ) from your structural analysis software.
: Quick access to design capacity tables during formatting and sizing.
The Green Book PDF typically includes the following sections:
+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Establish Factored Design Actions | | (Vertical Shear & Tying Forces) | +------------------------------+------------------------------+ | v +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Select a Standard Connection Detail | | (e.g., Fin Plate, End Plate Size) | +------------------------------+------------------------------+ | v +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Evaluate Limit States (Failure Modes) | | - Bolt shear/bearing - Plate shear/bending | | - Supporting member checks - Structural tying checks | +------------------------------+------------------------------+ | v +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Compare Resistance vs. Design Actions | | (V_Ed <= V_Rd) | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Key Analytical Rules
Here is a story about the life of an engineer relying on this essential resource. The Architect of the Invisible: A "Green Book" Story