A side plate joins the flanges or webs of a set of incoming members sharing a nodal connection, as shown in green in the following example.
It can also be created axially on a supported member at its nodal connection with a supporting member, as shown in green in the following example.
The physical axes of the members are end-point connected and coplanar. The common end point is the nodal point. At least two members with non-collinear axes are necessary. The incoming flange and web plate parts are trimmed. For built-up members, the incoming flange and web parts are trimmed by the edges of the side plate.