Steel and Timber Design
Lecture
Module 2:
Analysis of Steel Beams
(part 1)
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Instructor
Introduction
Beams are structural members that support
transverse loads and are therefore subjected
primarily to flexure, or bending.
Beams are usually thought of as being
oriented horizontally and subjected to vertical
loadings, but that is not necessarily the case.
A structural member is considered to be a
beam if it is loaded so as to cause bending.
Commonly used cross sectional shapes include
the W, S and M shapes.
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Design and Allowable Flexural Strength
For flexure, the required and available strengths are moments.
For LRFD, the basic requirements is:
Where
Mu = required moment strength (from factored load)
Mn = nominal moment strength
ϕb = resistance factor for bending (flexure) = 0.90
ϕb Mn = design strength
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Design and Allowable Flexural Strength
For ASD, the basic requirements is:
Where
Ma = required moment strength
Mn = nominal moment strength
Ωb = Factor of safety for bending (flexure) = 1.67
Mn / Ωb = Allowable strength
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Bending Stress
To be able to determine the nominal strength Mn, we must first examine the
behavior of beams throughout the full range of loading, from very small loads
to the point of collapse.
The stress at any point of the beam section can be found from the flexure
formula (bending stress):
Where:
M = bending moment
And the maximum bending stress is:
Mn= perpendicular distance from the NA to the point of
interest
I = moment of intertia of the cross-section with respect
to the Neutral axis (axis of bending)
S = elastic section modulus of the cross section
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Bending Stress
Bending Stress
Maximum bending stress
Note: This equation are valid as long as the loads are small enough that the
materials remains within its linear elastic range. For the structural steel, this
means that the stress fbmax must not exceed Fy.
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Bending Stress
In Figure shown, the load on the beam is gradually
increased. When yielding starts (figure b), the stress
distribution in the beam is no longer linear, and the
yielding progresses from extreme fiber toward the neutral
axis.
Note: the regions indicated by the dark areas in (c) and
(d) indicates the yielding region.
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Classification of Shape
NSCP classifies cross-sectional shapes as compact, noncompact or slender, depending on the values
of the width to thickness ratios.
For I shapes for example, the ratio for the web (a stiffened element) is h/tw .
the ratio for the flange (a unstiffened element) is bf/2tf .
λ is the width-to-thickness ratio
λp is the upper limit for compact category
λr is the upper limit for non-compact category
The category is based on the worst width-to-thickness
ratio of the cross section. If the web is compact and
flange is non-compact, therefore it is non-compact
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Flexural Strength of Compact Sections
A beam can fail by reaching the plastic moment
Mp and becoming fully plastic, or it can fail by:
1. Lateral Torsional Buckling (LTB)
Lateral torsional buckling is a failure mode that
can occur in steel beams subjected to bending
loads.
It happens when the beam twists and bends
simultaneously due to the applied load, leading
to a combination of lateral deflection (sideways
displacement) and torsional rotation (twisting)
along its length.
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Flexural Strength of Compact Sections
A beam can fail by reaching the plastic moment
Mp and becoming fully plastic, or it can fail by:
2. Flange local buckling (FLB)
Flange local buckling is another failure mode
that can occur in steel beams, particularly in
those with open cross-sections such as I-beams,
channels, or wide-flange sections.
It specifically refers to the buckling of the
flanges, which are the top and bottom horizontal
components of the beam.
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Flexural Strength of Compact Sections
A beam can fail by reaching the plastic moment
Mp and becoming fully plastic, or it can fail by:
3. Web local Buckling (WLB)
Web local buckling is a failure mode that can
occur in steel beams, specifically involving the
web, which is the vertical component of the
beam that connects the flanges.
Similar to flange local buckling, web local
buckling happens when a portion of the web
experiences compressive stresses beyond its
capacity, leading to buckling or deformation.
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Flexural Strength of Compact Sections
If the maximum bending stress is less
than the proportional limit when buckling
occurs, the failure is said to be elastic.
Otherwise, it is inelastic.
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Compact Steel Beam
For compact beam:
Note: for Laterally supported compact beams use the following formula
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
Sample Problem
1. For the built-up shape shown determine the elastic section modulus Sx and the yield
moment, My, assuming Yield Strength, Fy = 345 MPa.
Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc
