) ▁g age ▁length ▁did ▁not ▁correlate ▁satisf actor ily ▁with ▁either ▁the ▁local ▁or ▁the ▁uniform ▁du ct ility ▁of ▁the ▁material . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁red ist ribute ▁the ▁str esses ▁in ▁the ▁pl astic ▁range ▁to ▁avoid ▁prem ature ▁brit t le ▁f ract ure ▁and ▁to ▁achieve ▁full ▁net - section ▁strength ▁in ▁a ▁t ension ▁member ▁with ▁stress ▁concentr ations , ▁it ▁is ▁suggested ▁that : ▁▁ ▁The ▁minimum ▁local ▁el ong ation ▁in ▁a ▁- ▁ 1 / 2 ▁in . ▁( 1 2 . 7 - mm ) ▁gauge ▁length ▁of ▁a ▁standard ▁t ension ▁cou pon ▁including ▁the ▁neck ▁be ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 0 %. ▁ ▁The ▁minimum ▁uniform ▁el ong ation ▁in ▁a ▁ 3 - in . ▁( 7 6 . 2 - mm ) ▁gauge ▁length ▁minus ▁the ▁el ong ation ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 - in . ▁( 2 5 . 4 - mm ) ▁g age ▁length ▁containing ▁neck ▁and ▁f ract ure ▁be ▁at ▁least ▁ 3 %. ▁ ▁The ▁tens ile - str ength - to - y ield - point ▁ratio ▁Fu ▁/ F y ▁be ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 . 0 5 . ▁▁ ▁W eld ability ▁▁ ▁W eld ability ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁capacity ▁of ▁steel ▁to ▁be ▁w eld ed ▁into ▁a ▁satisf actory , ▁crack ▁free , ▁sound ▁joint ▁under ▁fabric ation ▁conditions ▁without ▁difficulty . ▁W eld ing ▁is ▁possible ▁in ▁cold - formed ▁steel ▁elements , ▁but