Fin plate connections are economical to fabricate and simple to erect. These connections are popular, as they can be the quickest connections to erect and overcome the problem of shared bolts in two-sided connections.

A fin plate connection consists of a length of plate welded in the workshop to the supporting member, to which the supported beam web is bolted on site, as shown in the figure below. There is a small clearance between the end of the supported beam and the supporting column.

Fin plate connections derive their in-plane rotational capacity from the bolt deformation in shear, from the distortion of the bolt holes in bearing and from the out-of-plane bending of the fin plate. Note that fin plates with long projections have a tendency to twist and fail by lateral torsional buckling. An additional check to consider this behaviour is included in the design procedures for fin plate connections.