CTC 422

Design of Steel Structures

Beams - Flexure
Objectives of Structural Design
Structure is adequate to support loads which
will be applied during its life
Strength provided strength required
Structure will meet serviceability
requirements
Deflection
Vibration
Structure will meet functional requirements
Structure will meet economic requirements
Beam Design
Student Objectives
Analyze a beam to calculate load, shear,
moment and deflection and to determine if
a given beam is adequate
Design (select) a beam to safely to support
a load considering moment, shear and
deflection

Beam Design
Beam
A structural member which carries loads applied
perpendicular to its longitudinal axis
These loads cause shear and bending (moment)
Different terms used for beams depending on
application or location
Girder, stringer, joist, lintel, spandrel, purlin, girt
Behavior of all is the same.
All are beams

Load and Resistance Factor
Design - LRFD
Design strength Required strength
R
n
R
u

For bending

b
M
n
M
u
Where:
M
n
= Nominal moment strength

b
= Strength reduction factor for bending = 0.9
M
u
= Required moment strength based on factored loads


Load and Resistance Factor
Design - LRFD
Nominal moment capacity, M
n
, depends on the failure
mechanism of the beam
Beam can fail by:
Full yielding of the cross-section
Lateral torsional buckling (LTB)
Can be inelastic or elastic buckling
Flange local buckling (FLB)
Web local buckling (WLB)

Failure mechanism is related to:
Lateral bracing of the beam
Whether or not the beam cross-section is compact



Failure Mechanism and Nominal
Moment Capacity, M
n
If beam remains stable up to its full plastic moment
capacity
Failure is by yielding of the full section
M
n =
M
p
Instability could be overall beam instability
Lateral torsional buckling (elastic or inelastic)
Prevented by adequate lateral bracing of the beams
compression flange
Instability could also be local instability
Flange local buckling or web local buckling
Dependent on width / thickness ratios of compression
elements
Compactness, non-compactness or slenderness of section



Compactness
Structural shapes are classified as compact, non-compact, or
slender
Compact
Section reaches its full strength (yield) before local buckling occurs
Strength of section is governed by material strength
Non-compact
Only a portion of the cross-section reaches its full strength (yield) before local
buckling occurs
Slender
Cross-section does not yield before local buckling occurs
Strength is governed by buckling
Compactness, non-compactness, or slenderness is a property of
the cross-section itself
A function of the width / thickness ratios of its flanges and its web
Flange width / thickness = b
f
/ 2t
f
Web width / thickness = h / t
w

Compactness
Classification is given in Table B4.1
Notation:
= width / thickness ratio

p
= upper limit for compact category

r
= upper limit for non-compact category
If
p
and the flange is continuously attached to the web, the
shape is compact
If
p

r
, the shape is non-compact
If >
r
, the shape is slender
Category is based on the worst width / thickness ratio
Example: If web is compact and flange is non-compact, section is
classified as non-compact
Most standard W, M, S, and C sections are compact
A few are non-compact because of their flanges, but none are
slender



Bending Strength of Compact
Shapes
Moment strength of a compact shape is a
function of, L
b
, the unbraced length of its
compression flange
L
b
distance between points braced against lateral displacement of
compression flange
L
p
limiting laterally unbraced length for limit state of yielding
L
r
limiting laterally unbraced length for limit state of inelastic
lateral torsional buckling

Compression flange may be braced by:
Perpendicular framing
Steel roof deck or floor deck
Concrete slab
Cross-bracing

Bending Strength of Compact
Shapes
If the compression flange is continuously braced
(L
b
L
p
)
Failure will be by yielding at full plastic moment
Nominal moment capacity, M
n
=

M
p
= F
y
Z
x
(AISC Eq. F2-1)

Design strength
b
M
n
=
b
M
p

For unbraced length L
b
> L
p

Failure will be by inelastic lateral torsional buckling
Nominal moment capacity, M
n
< M
p

At L
b
= L
p
, M
n
= 0.7 F
y
S
x
For L
p
< L
b
< L
r
, linear interpolation from M
n
= M
p
to M
n
= 0.7 F
y
S
x
(AISC Eq. F2-2)
For unbraced length L
b
> L
r

Failure will be by elastic lateral torsional buckling
Rapid reduction in M
n
(AISC Eq. F2-3)

Bending Strength of
Non-compact Shapes

Most standard W, M, S, and C sections are compact
A few are non-compact because of their flanges, but none are
slender
Shapes with noncompact flanges are listed in User note on page
16.1-49

Sections with compact webs and noncompact (or
slender) flanges
Nominal moment capacity, M
n
< M
p
Calculate M
n
using provisions of Code Section F3

Sections with noncompact webs
Nominal moment capacity, M
n
< M
p
Calculate M
n
using provisions of Code Section F4

Design Aids Braced Beams

Table 3-2, W-Shapes Selection by Z
x
Applies to wide flange shapes with F
y
= 50 ksi
Applies mainly to sections which are adequately braced (L
b
L
p
)
Can be used for unbraced length up to L
b
= L
r

Best to use this table only if fully braced
Table lists Z
x
, L
p
, L
r
, and Moment Capacity,
b
M
p
Also lists I
x
, and Shear Capacity
v
V
nx

Non-compact sections indicated by the footnote f
Moment capacity in table has been adjusted for non-compactness
Sections in table are grouped by weight
Lightest section in group is in bold

Choose this section if there is no depth restriction
Design Aids Unbraced Beams

Table 3-10, Available Moment vs. Unbraced Length

Applies to wide flange shapes with F
y
= 50 ksi
Also applies to channel shapes with F
y
= 36 ksi

Table is a plot of available flexural strength,
b
M
nx
, versus
unbraced length L
b

Bending Coefficient in Table conservatively taken as C
b
= 1
See Table 3-1 for values of C
b


Choose beam that has available moment strength
b
M
nx
M
u
at
an unbraced length L
b
Design L
b
Choose a beam above and to right of (L
b
, M
u
)
Solid line Beam chosen is lightest section available for the given
combination of M
u
and L
b

Dashed line A lighter section is available


Design Aids Channels

Braced Channels
Table 3-8, Maximum Total Uniform Load C Shapes

Applies to channel shapes with F
y
= 50 ksi
Applies only to sections which are adequately braced (L
b
L
p
)
Best to use this table only if fully braced
Table lists Z
x
, L
p
, L
r
, and Moment Capacity,
b
M
p
Also lists Shear Capacity
v
V
nx

Unbraced Channels
Table 3-10, Available Moment vs. Unbraced Length

Applies to channel shapes with F
y
= 36 ksi