STRUCTURES EQUATIONS

created by alkikat (4/28/2012) edited 7/1/2012 thanks to MikePM for edits

Equations in red recommended for memorization. Edits in blue. Tip: cover up the equation column to practice memorizing. Feel free to add & delete from this list for your use. Let me know if there are any errors.

area of trapezoid
2

b(h1 + h2) 2 (lb/in ) f = P/A P = load (lb) 2 A = area (in ) strength = stress x area

stress

force moment

(ft-lb/s ) F = ma (ft-lb) M = Fd F = force (lb) d = distance (ft) M = wL 8 w = distributed load (lb/ft) L = length of load (ft) F = wh 2 2 w = soil pressure (lb/ft ) h = height of wall (ft)
2 2

moment (uniform load) (also Mmax)

(ft-lb)

horz. force exerted on retaining wall

(lb)

resisting moment retaining wall

(ft-lb) Mresist = 1.5Moverturning U = 1.2D + 1.6L or 1.4D (design soil pressure) FS = Mstabilizing/Moverturning FS = (W)/F = coefficient of friction (i.e. soil) W = weight of foundation & any load F = induced force R = FvAbolts (P = fA) 2 Fv = allowable shear stress (lb/in ) 2 Abolts = total cross-sectional area of bolts (in ) Sx = bd 6 Ix = bd 12 Sx = Ix C
2 2

retaining wall factor of safety factor against sliding

resistance bearing type (lb) shear connections

3

section modulus of rectangle moment of inertia of rectangle, neutral axis section modulus of any shape moment of inertia of any shape, neutral axis

(in )
4

(in )
3

*controls deflection

(in )
4

*controls bending

(in ) (in)

Ix = Ipart + Ay C = A1y1 + A2y2 A1+ A2 centroid = A1d1 + A2d2 A1+ A2

unit strain

= e/L e = total deformation (strain) (in) L = original length (in) e = PL AE P = force (lb) L = length of column (in) 2 A = cross sectional area (in ) L = length of column (in) 2 E = modulus of elasticity (stress/strain = lb/in ) = eLt e = coefficient of thermal o expansion (in/in- F) L = original length (in) o t = temp. change ( F)
2

total deformation (strain) (in) (Hookes Law, columns)

thermal changes

(in)

thermal stress

(lb/in ) f = ET = coefficient of linear expansion o (in/in- F) (in) r =

Coefficient of linear expansion (): Aluminum 0.0000128 Steel 0.0000065 Concrete 0.0000055 Brick 0.0000034 Wood (fir) 0.0000021

radius of gyration (columns) slenderness ratio (steel columns)

I/A

*ability to w/stand load

= (kl)/r k = coefficent depending on end connections l = unbraced length (in) r = radius of gyration (in) = (kl)/b k = coefficent depending on end connections l = unbraced length (in) b = narrowest dimension (in) F = P = E 2 A (l/r) (lb/in ) fa = P/A P = axial tension force (lb) 2 A = cross sectional area (in ) (lb/in ) fv = 1.5V or fA = 1.5V A V = shear force (lb) 2 A = cross sectional area (in )
2 2 2 2

*200 for steel columns, most important factor in load carrying capacity

slenderness ratio (wood columns)

*50 for wood columns

Eulers Equation

*max load on a column prior to failure

axial stress (beam, any member)

*max axial stress occurs along entire cross section

shear stress (wood beam)

*max shear stress occurs @ neutral axis *shear stress same @ vert. & horz. axis

stress - notch on tension (lb/in ) fv = 1.5V x d side of wood beam A d d = overall depth of beam d = depth after notched, net depth

shear stress (steel beam)

(lb/in ) fv = Vmax or FA = V * fv = actual, Fv = allowable Aweb Vmax = max shear force at web (lb) 2 Aweb = cross sectional area of web (in )
3

flexure formula, bending (in ) (wood & steel beams)

Smin = Mmax (min. section modulus) Fb Fb = bending stress (24ksi for steel) = 5wL or 5WL 384EI 384EI w = weight per foot, distributed load (lb/in) W= total load (lb) L = beam length (in) 2 E = modulus of elasticity (lb/in ) 4 I = moment of inertia (in )
4 3

beam deflection

(in)

CONCRETE DESIGN ultimate load (ACI) % steel (lb) U = 1.2D + 1.6L or 1.4D s = As bd As = area of steel reinforcing max = 0.75b Strength reduction factors flexure & axial tension 0.90 shear & torsion 0.75 spirally reinf. columns 0.75 bearing on conc. 0.70 tied columns 0.70 flexure plain conc. 0.65

min = 200 3fc fy fy fc = concrete design strength (psi) fy = steel yield strength (psi) b = % steel in a balanced design = 0.85 (fc/fy)[ 87,000/(87,000+fy)] ultimate moment capacity (in-lb) Mn = Asfy(d-0.5a) = strength reduction factor d = effective beam depth, dist. from extreme compression fiber to centroid of tensile reinforcement a = depth of rectangular stress block Mu = 1.2MD + 1.6ML

shear in concrete

Vc = 2fc bwd bw= width of beam web, rectangular or T-beam s = Asfyd Vu - Vc Av = 50(bw/fy)

stirrup area

min area of web

WIND DESIGN velocity pressure at height z (lb/ft ) qz= 0.00256KzKztKdV I Kz= exposure coefficient at height z Kzt= topographic coefficient (usually 1.0) Kd= wind directionality factor (usually 0.85) V = wind velocity I = importance factor
2 2 2

design wind pressure for MWFRS of buildings of all heights

(lb/ft ) p = qGCp qi(GCpi) q = qz for windward walls evaluated at height z above the ground q = qh for leeward walls, side walls, and roofs, evaluated at height h qi = positive internal pressure G = gust effect factor(0.85 in most cases) Cp = external pressure coefficient, accounts for diff. effects on diff. parts of bldg. GCpi = internal pressure coefficient MWFRS = Main Wind-Force Resisting Systems (lb) C = M/d 2 M = (wL )/8 D = depth of diaphragm *the tension/compression forces in a diaphragm just like in a beam *distributed along depth of diaphragm *needed to determine connection type to shear wall

chord force

shear force

unit shear stress

(lb)Vs = fL 2 f = pw + pl = pwh + plh (f depends on location) 2 2 pw = pressure, windward side pl = pressure, leeward side L = length of bldg faade receiving wind force h = bldg height (lb) v = Vs/d d = depth of diaphragm

SEISMIC DESIGN base shear (kips) V = CsW Cs = seismic response coefficient W = effective seismic weight of bldg, % of dead load included restricted by code SD1 T(R/I) SD1 = design spectral response @ long period of 1.0 sec (depends on g) T = actual period of bldg R = response modification coefficient (depends on seismic force-resisting sytem) I = importance factor (depends on usage) x Ta = Cthn T = CuTa (%) SD1 = 2 FvS1 3 Fv = velocity based site coefficient S1 = velocity based seismic site factor, for period of 1.0 sec (look up on map) Cs =

seismic response coefficient (max. value)

approx. period actual period design spectral response 1.0 sec period

design spectral response short period

(%) SDs = 2 FvSs 3 F = velocity based site coefficient Ss = velocity based seismic site factor, for period of 1.0 sec (look up on map)

Sources: I started with this document from the ARE FTP: http://www.areforum.org/up/GeneralStructures/FORMULAS TO REMEMBER.doc Updated & supplemented with material from: - Ballast - Kaplan - IBC 2006 - ASCE-7