Design of Steel Structures

Design of Axial Members

Naveed Anwar, Buddhi Sharma

ACECOMS, AIT

Co-sponsored by:

Siam Yamato Steel Co., Ltd.

Axial Members: Strut-Tie

Tension Members
Compression Members

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Axial Members

Cross-section Shapes
Shapes used for this Seminar and SYSSoftware
Wide Flange,

W=H

Narrow Flange,

S, M = I

Tees,

WT, TH = T

Angles
Equal Angle Single:

L, EL

Unequal Angle Single : UL

Double Angle :

ELL, ULLS, ULLL

Built-up Channels
Back to Back:

CCI

Box :

CCB

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures -

Tension Members
Common Usage
Tie Rods, Sag Rods
Tension Members in Trusses
Tension Members in Bracing

Critical Considerations

Tensile stresses
Effective Area
Yield Strength, Fy
Ultimate Strength, Fu
Connections

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Tension Members

Basic Governing Equations

Smaller of the following Capacities

Pt 0.6 Fy Ag

Pt 0.5 Fu Ae
Where

Ae U An

x
U 1
L
ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures -

Pt = Capacity in Tension
Fy = Yield strength of steel
Fu = Ultimate strength of steel
Ag = Gross cross-section area
Ae = Effective area in tension
An = Net cross-section area
U = Area reduction factor
x = Distance between centroid
and shear plane of connection
L = Length of connection

Overall Design Process

Pt, Fy,, Fu , L

Compute Ag1

Determine U

Compute KL/r

Determine K

Compute Ae
Compute Ag2

Pt
Ag1
0.6 Fy
Pt
Ae
0.5 Fu

Ag 2
Kl/r < 300

Accept Section
Design OK

Select
Section

Ag1
Ag
Ag 2

max

Apply Net Area

Correction

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Tension Members

Ae

Overall Design Process

1. Compute Ag1 based on Yield Criteria (Fy)
2. Compute Ae based on Fracture Criteria (Fu)
3. Select Area Reduction Factor, U
Based on connection type etc ( U = 0.75 - 1.0)
4. Compute Ag2 based on Ae from step 3

5. Select section to satisfy higher of Ag1 and Ag2

6. Check for other end connection requirements
ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Tension Members

Net Effective Area, Ae

Why Net Effective Area?
To account for efficiency of end connections
Shear lag effect caused by partial connection and
uneven stress distribution
Many other factors that affect connection strength

How to Calculate?
For Bolted and Riveted Connections, Ae = U An
For Welded Connections,
Ae = U Ag

An

Ag

Ag = Gross Area
An = Net area after holes
Ae = Effective Area

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Tension Members

General Effective Area Factor, U

U 1

x
L

x Dis tan ce Between Centroid of

the connected Area and the shear plane

L Length of the connection

X
X

X
X

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures -

Effective Area Factor, U

WT B f / d> 2/3

Single or Double
Angle

Bar or Plate

Ae

=An

WF B f / d>2/3

Ae =0.85 A n

Ae=0.90A n

WF B f / d< 2/3

WF B f / d< 2/3

Ae=0.85A n

Ae=0.75A n

Ae=0.9A n

Typical Values of U for various cases

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Tension Members

Single or Double
Angle

Ae =0.75 A n

WF B f / d>2/3

Ae =0.75 A n

Area Reduction Factors

Special Cases for Welded Connections
A - For any H, I, T connected by transverse welds alone
U = 1.0, Ae = area of connected element

B - For plates and bars connected by longitudinal welds

alone, values of U depending upon the relative length of
the weld and their spacing
U=1.0 for l >= 2w
U=0.87 for 1.5 =< l < 2w
U=1.0 for w =< l < 1.5w
Only Transverse Weld
Only Logtudinal Weld
w

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Tension Members

Axial Members: Strut-Tie

Tension Members
Compression Members

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Axial Members

Compression Members
Common Usage

Struts
Compression Members in Trusses
Compression Members in Bracing
Columns without significant Moment

Critical Considerations

Axial Stresses
Axial- Flexural Buckling
Flexural-Torsional Buckling
Local Buckling
Effective Length, kL and Slenderness Ratio, kL/r

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Compression: Influencing Factors

Grade of Steel
Stress-strain relations
Yield stress

Manufacturing method - Residual Stresses

Hot rolled shape

Welded buil-up shape

Using flame-cut plates
Using universal mill plates

Cold-straightened shape
Rotorizing ( continuous straightening )
Gag ( point ) straightening
ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Compression: Influencing Factors

Size and Properties of section ( Ag, rx, ry )
Cross section geometry ( W, H, C,WT etc )
Bending axis (Major or minor)

Initial out-of-straightness
Maximum value
Distribution along column length

Framing and End support conditions

Without sway, pinned or otherwise
With sway, pinned or otherwise
Restrained ends, with or without sway

Unsupported Member Length

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Basic Strength Equation

P = Axial Capacity of Member

P Fa Ag

Fa = Permissible stress
Ag = Gross cross-section Area

Fa Qa Qs Fa
Fa

'

= Permissible stress as determined by bend buckling

criteria (based on basic equations without Qa ad Qs)

Qa

= Effective area correction factor

Qs

= Stress reduction factor based on width-thickness ratio

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Basic Strength Equation

P Qa Qs Fa

'

Permissible stress as determined

by bend buckling criteria

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Determination of Fa
For compression members, the critical (ultimate) stress,
including the effect of Residual Stresses, Initial Imperfections
and other non-linear factors is given by the general equation:
1 kL / r 2

Fcr Fy 1
2 Cc

Fa
'

Fcr
2E
, Cc
FOS
Fv

kL
0
r
FOS
kL
1.92 for
Cc
r
1.67 for

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures -

For AISC/ASD

Determination of Fa
Takes into account Section
Size, Length, End
Conditions etc.
Main Problem is the
Effective Length Factor K

Cc

2E
Fy

Cact max .

KL
r

Cact >= Cc

Slender
Y

1 KL / r 2

Fy 1
2 Cc
'
Fa
3

5 3 KL / r 1 KL / r

3 8 Cc
8 Cc
ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Fa
'

12 2 E
KL
23

Effective Length Factor, K

To account for Axial-Flexural Buckling
Indicates the total bent length of column between
inflection points
Can vary from 0.5 to Infinity
Most common range 0.75 to 2.0

0.5

1.0

0.5 - 1.0

2.0

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

1.0 -

K Factor Examples
Model

Example

Factor
1.0

0.85

0.7

2.0

1.0

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Determination of K
Isolated Members

Bottom End

Top End

Fix

Pin

Free

Fix

0.5

0.8

2.0

Pin

0.8

1.0

Unstable

Free

2.0

Unstable

Unstable

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Determination of K
Members Part of Framed Structure

Unbraced
Frames
Braced
Frames
(smaller of)
( EI / LC )
G
( EI / L)
K G

20 Gm
K
1 Gm
20

K 0.9 (1 Gm )

for Gm 2

for Gm 2

K 0.7 0.05 (GT GB ) 1.0

k 0.85 0.05 Gm 1.0
Columns
Beams

G Increase, K Increases

GT Top End
GB Bottom End
Gm Minimum of GT and GB

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Basic Strength Equation

P Qa Qs Fa

'

Stress reduction factor based on width-thickness ratio

To account for Local Buckling of Un-Stiffened Plates

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Stress Reduction Factor, Qs

Accounts for Local Plate Buckling
Governed by Thinnest (max b/t)
Un-stiffened element

Pcr

K 2 E

2 b
12 1 m
t
0.9 KE
or , Pcr
b / t 2

K = Factor based plate boundary

E = Modulus of Elasticity
b = Width of plate
t = Thickness of plate
m = Poison Ratio = 0.3

The codes use various limits on (b/t ) to specify some empirical

values of stress reduction factor in terms of Fy to take into
account post-buckling strength of un-stiffened elements
ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Stress Reduction Factor, Qs

For single angles

For projecting
elements of
compression flanges
of columns and beams

For stems of tees

b
76
b 155

1
.
340

0
.
00447
F
for

t
t
F
F
y
y

Qs

15,500
b
155

for
Fy (b/t) 2

t
Fy

b
95
b 195

1
.
415

0
.
00437
F
for

t
t
F
Fy
y

Qs

20,000
b
195

for
Fy (b/t) 2

t
Fy

b
127 b 176

1
.
908

0
.
00715
F
for

y

t
t
F
Fy
y

Qs

b 176
20,000

for
2
Fy (b/t)

t
Fy

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Qa for Fy = 2400 Ksc (34 ksi)

For single angles

For projecting
elements of
compression flanges
of columns and beams

For stems of tees

b
b

1
.
340

0
.
026
for
12
.
9

26
.
3

t
t

Qs

446.7
b

for
26.3
2

t
(b/t)

b
b

1
.
415

.
0257
for
16
.
1

33
.
1

t
t

Qs

576.4
b

for
33.1
2

t
(b/t)

b
b

1
.
908

0
.
0421
for
21
.
6

29
.
9

t
t

Qs

576.4
b

for
29.9
2

t
(b/t)

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Basic Strength Equation

P Qa Qs Fa

'

Effective area correction factor to

account for Non-Linear Stress Distribution on Stiffened Elements

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Effective Area Factor, Qa

To account for Non-uniform, Non-linear, Post-buckling
Stress Distribution or Karman effect
Governed by Thinnest (max. b/t) stiffened element
Ae
Effective Area
Qa

Gross Area
Ag

Effective Area, Ae

Ae bet
for Un-stiffened elements of the section, be = b
for Stiffened elements, be must be computed
ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Effective Area Factor, Qa

be/2
Stiffened
Element

Non-linear Compressive Stress

Distribution in Stiffened Elements

Un-Stiffened
Element
be = 1

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Effective Plate Width, be

For flanges of rectangular box sections

326t
64.9
be
1
b

f (b / t ) f
Other uniformly compressed stiffened elements

326t
57.2
be
1
b
f (b / t ) f
f = P/Ag for columns (in ksi)
f = M/Sx for beams (approx.) (in ksi)
ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Effective Area Factor, Qa

Example:

b1

2b1t1 b2et 2
Qa
2b1t1 b2t 2

t1

b2e
2
b2

t2

b2e
2

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Design Steps
1. Assume a trial section by judgement and experience or by
using design aids
2. Assume Qa=1.0 for first trial
3. Compute Qs based on the specification formula
4. Compute the critical slenderness ratio Cc
5. Assume or compute the Kx and Ky by using alignment chart
or equations.

6. Compute Cact , the highest KL/r

7. Compute Fa based on Cc and Cact
ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Design Steps
8. Revise the value for Qa by using new value for Fa .
If the new Qa is same as assumed then accept Fa (Go to
next step) otherwise revise the Fa ( Go back to step 4 ).
Repeat the procedure until the desired accuracy is obtained.
9. Compute the capacity based on gross area and the Fa
computed from step 8
10. If the section capacity is more than or equal to the required
capacity accept the section otherwise try new section and
repeat the whole calculation until suitable section is found

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

Overall Design Process

P, W, Fy, L

Select
Section

Determine K

Compute Fa

Accept Section
Design OK

Assume Qa,
Compute Qs

Compute Cc
Compute Cact

Pn > P

Qa2= Qa

Compute Fa

Compute Pn

Qa2 ~ Qa

Compute Qa2

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

The Stress Ratio Components

R Ra Rbx Rby
fa
Ra
Fa

P
fa
Ag
Fa Qa Qs Fa

'

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures -

1.0

Unsymmetrical Sections
Special Considerations for
Angle, Double Angle, Tee, Zee etc
Covered by special methods and specifications

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members

ACECOMS: Design of Steel Structures - Compression Members