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Steel Rafter Design Per AISC / API 650
Rev # Rev Description Rev By Rev Date
1
2
3
4
Notes
1
2
3
4
5
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Rafter Design per API 650
A. Introduction
API 650 requires that the structural rafters be designed per AISC or other approved standard. These rafters are
designed using the latest edition of AISC with temperature modification factors per API 650, Appendix M. API 650
requires that rafters not use roof plate for lateral support when considering the roof plate loads only. When
considering the total load with live load and other dead loads included, the roof plate may be considered as
effective in bracing the compression flange of the rafter (per API 650).
B. Geometry
Beam Selection (W or C shapes)
Radius to outside rafter
connection
Radius to inside rafter
connection
Number of lateral
braces
Number of rafters in bay
R
o
50 ft := R
i
4 ft := N
rb
50 := N
bt
4 :=
Roof slope Thickness of roof Effective Span of rafter
RS .75
in
ft
:= t
r
.1875 in := L
B
R
o
R
i
46.00ft = :=
C. Material Properties
Yield Strength Safety factor required per AISC 360
F
yB
50 ksi :=
b
1.67 :=
Rafter Design (AISC 360-05)
D. Rafter Loadings
Ground snow load Balanced snow load on roof
SL
g
25 psf := SL
b
0.84 SL
g
21.00 psf = :=
Roof live load Additional roof dead load
LL
r
20 psf := DL
misc
1.5 psf :=
External pressure Design temperature
P
ext
5.2 psf := T
d
350 F :=
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Rafter Design per API 650
D. Rafter Loadings
RT
S
r
2 R
o

N
rb
:= S
r
6.28ft =
Spacing of rafters at outer end
X1 0 ft 0.00 = :=
TL max
LL
r
SL
b
|

\
|
|
|

\
|
|
|

t
r

s
+ DL
misc
+ 0.4 P
ext
+ := TL 32.24 psf =
Total load
DL t
r

s
7.66 psf = :=
Roof plate only load
qX1 LD ( )
2 R
o
( )

N
rb
LD w
B
+ :=
Uniform load at outside of rafter
qX1 TL ( ) 218.55 plf =
qi LD ( ) w
B
R
i
( )
2
N
rb
LD + :=
qi TL ( ) 32.20 plf =
Uniform load at inside of rafter
q x LD , ( )
x
X1
qX1 LD ( ) x X1 < if
qX1 LD ( ) qX1 LD ( ) qi LD ( ) ( )
x X1 ( )
L
B
5 in
( )
X1
otherwise
:=
R2 LD ( )
0 ft
L
B
x q x LD , ( ) x

d
L
B
:= R2 TL ( ) 2143.19 lbs =
Inside rafter reaction
R1 LD ( )
0 ft
L
B
x q x LD , ( )

d R2 LD ( ) := R1 TL ( ) 3584.88lbf =
Outside rafter reaction
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Rafter Design per API 650
D. Rafter Loadings
M x1 LD , ( ) R1 LD ( ) x1
0 ft
x1
x q x LD , ( ) x1 x ( )

d := Moment as a function of x
MARRAY LD ( )
m
i
M
L
B
100
i LD ,
|

\
|
|

i 1 100 .. for
m
:=
M
maxTL
max MARRAY TL ( ) ( ) := Maximum moment for total load
M
maxTL
33442.58 ft lbs =
M
maxDL
max MARRAY DL ( ) ( ) :=
Maximum moment for dead load only case
M
maxDL
11135.21 ft lbs =
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Rafter Design per API 650
E. Member Properties
I
B
103.00 in
4
= Z
xB
20.10 in
3
=
Moment of inertia of rafter Plastic section modulus
C
bB
1.00 = r
yB
0.77 in =
Bending diagram factor Weak axis radius of gyration
C
wB
96.90 in
6
= I
yB
2.82 in
4
=
Torsional constant Weak axis moment of inertia
S
xB
17.10 in
3
= r
tsB
0.98 in =
Strong axis section modulus Torsional radius of gyration
d
B
12.00 in = t
fB
0.27 in =
Rafter depth Rafter flange thickness
t
wB
0.22 in = b
fB
3.99 in =
Rafter web thickness Rafter flange width
c
B
1.00 = Factor used for LTB capacity h
oB
11.73 in = Center to center of flanges
UBL
DL
L
B
N
bt
1 +
9.20ft = := Unbraced length of compression flange for roof weight
only - see API 650, Section 5.10.4.3
Unbraced length of compression flange
for total load - see API 650, Section
5.10.4.3
UBL
TL
0.1 ft INT 1 = ( ) d
B
15 in
( )
RS
2 in
ft

\
|
|

if
L
B
N
bt
1 +
otherwise
0.10ft = :=
Yield strength reduction factor for rafter design per
API 650, Appendix M
RF
ys
RY1
T
d
F
|

\
|
|

F
yB
45 ksi if
RY3
T
d
F
|

\
|
|

F
yB
55 ksi > if
RY2
T
d
F
|

\
|
|

otherwise
0.78 = :=
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Rafter Design per API 650
F. Bending Strength
Critical unbraced flange length for which
inelastic bukling applies (AISC 360-05, F2-5)
L
pB
1.76 r
yB

E
s
F
yB
:=
Critical unbraced flange length for which elastic bukling applies (AISC 360-05, F2-6)
L
rB
1.95 r
tsB

E
s
0.7 F
yB

J
B
c
B

S
xB
h
oB

1 1 6.76
0.7 F
yB

E
s
S
xB
h
oB

J
B
c
B

\
|
|
|

2
+ + :=
F
crB
UBL ( )
C
bB

2
E
s

UBL
r
tsB
|

\
|
|

2
1 0.078
J
B
c
B

S
xB
h
oB

UBL
r
tsB
|

\
|
|

2
+ :=
Critical stress based on LTB (AISC 360-05, F2-4)
Plastic moment strength (AISC 360-05, F2-1)
M
pB
F
yB
Z
xB
:=
Nominal moment strength
based on yielding M
nYB
M
pB
:=
M
nLTB
UBL ( ) C
bB
M
pB
M
pB
0.7 F
yB
S
xB

( )
+
...

(
(

UBL L
pB

L
rB
L
pB

\
|
|
|

(
(
(

+
...

(
(
(
(

:=
Nominal moment strength
based on LTB (AISC 360-05,
F2-2 and F2-3
M
nLTBB
UBL ( ) M
pB
UBL L
pB
if
M
nLTB
UBL ( ) UBL L
pB
>
( )
UBL L
rB

( )
if
F
crB
UBL ( ) S
xB
otherwise
:=
Nominal moment strength
based on LTB with limits
(AISC 360-05, F2-2 and F2-3)
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Rafter Design per API 650
F. Bending Strength

B
CBFbyTF
BEAM ( )
BEAM 31 if
WBFby2TF
BEAM 31
otherwise
:= Flange slenderness ratio for local buckling
(AISC 360-05 F3-1)
Web slenderness ratio (AISC 360-05 F3-2)
HbyTW CHbyTW
BEAM ( )
BEAM 31 if
WHbyTW
BEAM 31
otherwise
:=
Limiting slenderness for compact flange
(Table B4.1)

pfB
0.38
E
s
F
yB
:=
Limiting slenderness for non-compact flange
(Table B4.1)
rfB
1.0
E
s
F
yB
:=
k
cB
0.35
4
HbyTW
0.35 < if
0.76
4
HbyTW
0.76 > if
4
HbyTW
otherwise
:= (AISC 360-05 F3-2)
M
nFLB
M
pB
M
pB
0.7 F
yB
S
xB

( )
+
...

(
(

B

pfB

rfB

pfB

\
|
|
|

(
(
(

+
...

(
(
(
(

:=
Moment strength based on flange
local buckling (AISC 360-05 F3-1)
M
nFLBB
M
pB

B

pfB
if
M
nFLB

B

pfB
>
( )

B

rfB

( )
if
0.9 E
s
k
cB
S
xB

B
( )
2
otherwise
:=
Moment strength based on flange
local buckling with limits (AISC
360-05 F3-1)
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Rafter Design per API 650
F. Bending Strength
M
nYB
83750.00 ft lbs = Nominal moment strength of
rafter
M
nB
UBL ( )
RF
ys

b
min
M
nYB
M
nLTBB
UBL ( )
M
nFLBB
|

\
|
|
|
|
|

\
|
|
|
|
|

:=
0 5 10
10
20
30
Nominal Moment Strength
Positive Moment at Unbraced Length
Negative Moment at Unbraced Length
Beam Capacity as a Function of Unbraced Length
Unbraced Length (ft)
M
o
m
e
n
t

C
a
p
a
c
i
t
y

(
f
t
-
k
i
p
s
)
All ratios must be at 100% or less -
try another rafter shape if over 100%
M
maxTL
M
nB
UBL
TL
( )
85.49 % =
M
maxDL
M
nB
UBL
DL
( )
60.37 % =
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Rafter Design per API 650
G. Shear Strength
V
nB
RF
ys
d
B
t
wB
0.6 F
yB
:=
Nominal shear strength for rafter
V
nB
61.78 kip =
R1 TL ( )
V
nB
5.80 % =
Ratio must be less than or equal to 100% - try
another rafter shape if over 100%
H. Web Compactness
Limiting slenderness ratio for web compactness
(AISC 360-05, Table B4.1)

pwB
3.76
E
s
F
yB
:=

pwB
90.55 =
Slenderness ratio for rafter
HbyTW 49.40 =
HbyTW

pwB
54.55 % = Ratio must be less than or equal to 100%
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Rafter Design per API 650
I. Check Rafter Spacing
CA
rp
0 in := Corrosion allowance on roof plate
F
yrp
36 ksi := Yield strength of roof plate
S
rmax
min
t
r
CA
rp

( )
1.5 F
yrp
RF
ys

TL

84 in

(
(
(
(

(
(
(
(

:=
S
rmax
6.78ft = Maximum permissible spacing of rafters per API 650,
Section 5.10.4.4
S
r
6.28ft = Actual rafter spacing
S
r
S
rmax
92.71% =
Ratio must be less than or equal to 100%
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Rafter Design per API 650
J. Brace Force Required
Factor to determine
brace force
C
d
1 :=
Tensile strength of
fillet weld
Safety factor for weld
per AISC 360-05
Fillet weld size Length of fillet weld
t
w
.25 in := L
w
2 in := F
uw
60 ksi :=
w
2 :=
Factor to determine brace force
C
t
1
1.2
N
bt
+ 1.30 = :=
P
br
0.01 M
maxTL
C
t
C
d

h
oB
:=
Brace force required per AISC 360-05
P
br
444.76 lbs =
Allowable force on fillet weld
P
w
0.6 0.7071 t
w
L
w
F
uw

w
:=
P
w
6.36 kip =
Must be less than 100%
P
br
P
w
6.99 % =
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Rafter Design per API 650
K. Deflection of Beam
q1 q2 , L , E , I , ( )
0.00652 q2 q1 ( ) L
4

E I
5 q1 L
4

384 E I
+ := Beam deflection

allow
L
B
180
:=
allow
3.07 in = There are no live load deflection limits required - a
good rule of thumb would be L/180. The roof plate can
take a lot of deflection, so a limit is not actually
required.
max
qi LL
r
( )
qX1 LL
r
( )
, L
B
, E
s
, I
B
,
( )
:=

max
2.83 in =
Maximum live load deflection

max

allow
92.32 % =
There are no dead+live load deflection limits required -
a good rule of thumb would be L/120. The roof plate
can take a lot of deflection, so a limit is not actually
required.

allowTL
L
B
120
:=
allowTL
4.60 in =

maxTL
qi LL
r
t
r

s
+ DL
misc
+
( )
qX1 LL
r
t
r

s
+ DL
misc
+
( )
, L
B
, E
s
, I
B
,
( )
:=

maxTL
3.88 in = Maximum dead plus live load deflection

maxTL

allowTL
84.35 % =
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