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SteelBeamDesign
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SteelBeamDesignBreakdown
Main
Theproblemwithsteelbeamdesignisatfirstglanceitisreallyreallysimple.Thenyougetintolateraltorsional
buckling,webbuckling,etcandit'slikeyou'retryingtoreadabookwhileit'sonfire.The9theditionAISCsteel Home
manualdidadecentjobatbreakingdownhowtoanalyzeforthevariousfailurecriteria,butwiththe13th Glossary
editionitbecameverydifficulttogetthingsdoneright(nottomentionthefactthatattimesthesteelmanualwill
ContactW.E.
referenceotherbooksifyou'dliketoproceed).Butthatisneitherherenorthere,Iwilldomybesttoexplain
howbesttosolveforabeambyhand. BecomeanEditor

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Steelbeamdesignhasmanydifferentchecksandcriteria,thecommononeswillbeexplainedfurtherhere:
EngineeringDirectory
SimpleSteelBeamDesign
SolvefortheAllowableMomentofaSimpleSteelBeam
FindtheStressinamemberandcompareittotheAllowableStressofthebeam Construction
SteelBeamShearStrength
SteelBeamFlexuralStrength? ElectricalEngineering
SteelBeamFlexuralStrengthSpreadsheet(usingAISC13thed.)
Checksfor:CompactSection,LateralTorsionalBuckling,andFlangeLocalBuckling. Environmental
SteelBeamCompactSections
SteelBeamLateralTorsionalBuckling GeneralEngineering
SteelIBeamLateralTorsionalBucklingDesign
SteelChannelLateralTorsionalBucklingDesign Geotechnical
SteelChannelLateralTorsionalBucklingSpreadsheet?
SteelBeamWeakAxisBending
Structural

TheBasicstoSteelBeamDesign: Statics

Mechanicsof
Materials

StructuralAnalysis

Aluminum

Concrete

Masonry

Steel

Wood

Transportation

WaterResources

Miscellaneous

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Fig.1:MomentCapacityvs.UnbracedLength

Steeldesignisbrokenupintoavarietyofsteps.Youhavetochecktomakesurethebeamisbracedoften
enough,youhavetochecktomakesurethewebdoesnotbuckle,youhavetochecktomakesurethereisn't
toomuchsheargoingthroughthebeam.Allofthesechecksarenormallydoneautomaticallywithwhatever
structuraldesignprogramyouuse,butifanalyzingabeambyhand(whichwithtoday'sSteelCodeshave
becomequitethetediousprocess),itcantakequitesometimetofindtheactualcapacityofasteelbeam.That
beingsaid,the

Designofasimplebeam(usingASD?)canbedoneoneoftwoways:
1)Findtheallowablemomentactingonthebeam:ForCompactSectionswithadequatelateralandvertical
support,thenominalflexuralstrengthofasteelbeamis:

Mn = Fy Zx
where:
Mn=TheNominalMoment(notethisisnotthedesignmoment)
Fy=TheYieldStrengthoftheSteel(e.g.36ksi,46ksi,50ksi)
Zx=ThePlasticSectionModulusinthexorstrongaxis.ZxissimilartotheSectionModulusofa

member(itisusuallyaminimumof10%greaterthantheSectionModulus)(in3)

TheNominalMomentwillbemodifiedbytheSafetyFactor(b)tobecome:

Mn Mn
M =
b 1 67

where:
M=YourDesignMoment
b=TheSafetyFactorforElementsinBending=1.67

E#1:
GivenanA36Wmemberthatiscompactandproperlybraced,withaPlasticSectionModulusof41in3findthe
allowableMoment.

ShowSolution
NotethatA36steelhasayieldstrengthof36ksiandthen:

1)TakeMn=Fy*Zx=36ksi*41in3=1476kin

Mn 1476kin
2)UsingtheSafetyFactorb:M =
b 1 67 =884kin

TheAnsweris884kin

2)ComparethestressactingonabeamtotheAllowableStress:Themorecommonwaytosolveforthe
allowablebendinginasteelbeamistocheckthebeamagainstitsallowablestress.Reworkingtheequationin
Section1aboveyoucancomeupwith:

M
fb =
Zx
Fy Fy
Fb = = 0 6 Fy
b 1 67

fb Fb

Mostcommonsimplifiedbendingequation:

M
fb = Fb 0 6 Fy
Zx

where:
fb=Thecomputedstressinthebeaminbending
M=Themaximummomentactingonthebeam
Zx=ThePlasticSectionModulusinthexorstrongaxis.ZxissimilartotheSectionModulusofa

member(itisusuallyaminimumof10%greaterthantheSectionModulus)(in3)
Fb=Theallowablestressofthebeaminbending
Fy=TheYieldStrengthoftheSteel(e.g.36ksi,46ksi,50ksi)
b=TheSafetyFactorforElementsinBending=1.67

E#2:
GivenanA50Wmemberthatiscompactandproperlybraced,withaPlasticSectionModulusof18.5in3anda
momentof141kin.Doesthememberwork?Whatisit'sdesignratio?

ShowSolution
NotethatA50steelhasayieldstrengthof50ksiandthen:

1)Takefb=M/Zx=141kin/18.5in3=7.62ksi

2)UsingtheSafetyFactorb:Fb = Fy 50ksi
b
= 1 67=30ksi
3)Sincefb<Fbthenthemember'sdemandislessthancapacityandthereforeitiswithintheallowable
bendingstressofthebeam.

4)TofindtheDesignratiotakefb/Fb=7.62ksi/30ksi=0.254

Thememberisat25.4%capacity

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