ENCE 710

Design of Steel Structures

V. Lateral-Torsional Buckling of
Beams
C. C. Fu, Ph.D., P.E.
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
University of Maryland
 Introduction
Following subjects are covered:
Lateral Torsional Buckling (LTB)

Flange Local Buckling (FLB)

Web Local Buckling (WLB)

Shear strength

Lateral Bracing Design

Reading:
Chapters 9 of Salmon & Johnson

AISC LRFD Specification Chapters B (Design Requirements)

and F (Design of Members for Flexure)

2
 Introduction
A beam can fail by reaching the plastic moment and
becoming fully plastic (see last section) or fail
prematurely by:
1. LTB, either elastically or inelastically
2. FLB, either elastically or inelastically
3. WLB, either elastically or inelastically
If the maximum bending stress is less than the
proportional limit when buckling occurs, the failure
is elastic. Else it is inelastic.
For bending bMn(b = 0.9)
3
Design of Members for Flexure
(about Major Axis)

4
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (LTB)
Compact Members (AISC F2)
Failure Mode
Plastic LTB (Yielding)
Inelastic LTB
Elastic LTB
Moment Gradient Factor Cb

5
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Failure Mode
A beam can buckle in a
lateral-torsional mode
when the bending
moment exceeds the
critical moment.

6
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Nominal Flexural Strength Mn
plastic when Lb L p and M n M p
inelastic when Lp Lb Lr and M p M n M r
elastic when Lb Lr and Mn Mr
Mn

C b 1.0
Mp

plastic inelastic elastic

Mr

Lb
Lp Lr
7
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)

I-Beam
in a
Buckled
Position

8
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Elastic LTB
coupled differential equations for rotation and lateral
translation d d 3 (8.5.10)
M z GJ ECw
dz dz 3
where
Mz = moment at location z along member axis
z = axis along member length
= angle of twist
G = shear modulus
J = torsional constant (AISC Table 1-1 for torsional prop.)
E = modulus of elasticity
Cw = warping constant (AISC Table 1-1 for warping)
9
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Plastic LTB (Yielding)
Flexural Strength M n M p Fy Z (AISC F2-1)

where Z= plastic section modulus & Fy= section yield stress

Limits

Lateral bracing limit E

Lb Lp 1.76ry (AISC F2-5)
Fy

Flange and Web width/thickness limit (AISC Table B4.1)

(Note: Lpd in Salmon & Johnson Eq. (9.6.2) is removed from AISC 13th Ed.)

10
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Inelastic LTB Lp Lb Lr
Flexure Strength (straight line interpolation)
Lb Lp
M n Cb M p M p M r M p (9.6.4)
L L
r p

or
Lb Lp
M n Cb M p M p 0.7 Fy S x M p (AISC F2-2)
L L
r p

11
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Elastic LTB Lb Lr
Flexure Strength
M n Fcr S x M p (AISC F2-3)
2
Cb 2 E Jc Lb
Fcr 2
1 0.078
S x ho rts
(AISC F2-4)
Lb

rts
(The square root term may be conservatively taken equal to 1.0)
(c in AISC F2-8a,b for doubly symmetric I-shape, and channel, respectively)

2
E Jc 0.7 Fy S x ho
Limit Lr 1.95rts
0.7 Fy S x ho
1 1 6.76
E Jc
(AISC F2-6)
I y Cw
rts
2
(AISC F2-7)
Sx 12
 Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Moment Gradient Factor Cb
The moment gradient factor Cb accounts for the variation
of moment along the beam length between bracing
points. Its value is highest, Cb=1, when the moment
diagram is uniform between adjacent bracing points.
When the moment diagram is not uniform
12.5M max (9.6.3)
Cb
2.5M max 3M A 4M B 3M C (AISC F1-1)
where
Mmax= absolute value of maximum moment in unbraced length
MA, MB, MC= absolute moment values at one-quarter, one-half, and
three-quarter points of unbraced length
13
Cb for a Simple Span Bridge

14
Nominal Moment Strength Mu as
affected by Cb

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 Flange Local Buckling (FLB)
Compact Web and Noncompact/Slender
Flanges (AISC F3)
Failure Mode
Noncompact Flange
Slender Flange
Nominal Flexural strength, Mn = Min (F2, F3)

16
 Flange Local Buckling (cont.)
Failure Mode
The compression flange
of a beam can buckle
locally when the
bending stress in the
flange exceeds the
critical stress.

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 Flange Local Buckling (cont.)
Nominal Flexural Strength Mn
bf / 2t f p
plastic when and M n M p
inelastic when p bf / 2t f r and M p M n M r
elastic when bf / 2t f r and Mn Mr
Mn

Mp

compact noncompact slender

Mr

bf

p r tf
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 Flange Local Buckling (cont.)
Noncompact Flange (straight line
interpolation)
Flexure Strength
pf
M n M p M p 0.7 Fy S x

rf pf (AISC F3-1)

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 Flange Local Buckling (cont.)
Slender Flange
Flexure Strength
0.9 Ekc S x
Mn (AISC F3-2)
2
4
kc
h / tw
(kc shall not be less than 0.35 and not greater than 0.76)

Limit (AISC Table B4.1)

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 Web Local Buckling (WLB)
Compact or Noncompact Webs (AISC F4)
Failure Mode
Compact Web (Yielding)
Noncompact Web
Slender Web
Nominal Flexural Strength, Mn=min (compression
flange yielding, LTB, compression FLB, tension
flange yielding)
21
 Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Failure Mode
The web of a beam can
also buckle locally
when the bending
stress in the web
exceeds the critical
stress.

22
 Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Nominal Flexural Strength Mn
plastic when p and M n M p
inelastic when p r and M p M n M r
elastic when r and Mn Mr
Mn

Mp

compact noncompact slender

Mr

h

p r tw

h 23
 Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Compression Flange Yielding
Flexural Strength

M n R pc M yc R pc Fy S xc (AISC F4-1)

where Rpc= web plasticification factor (AISC F4-9a, b) &

Fy= section yield stress

Limits (AISC Tables B4.1)

E
Lb Lp 1.1rt
Fy 24
 Web Local Buckling (cont.)
LTB (Inelastic) Lp Lb Lr

Flexure Strength
pf
M n Cb R pc M yc R pc M yc FL S xc M p

rf pf (AISC F4-12)

where FL= a stress determined by AISC F4-6a, b

25
 Web Local Buckling (cont.)
LTB (Elastic) Lb Lr
Flexure Strength
M n Fcr S xc R pc M yc (AISC F4-3)

C E 2
J Lb
2
(AISC F4-5)
Fcr b 2 1 0.078
Lb S x ho rt

rt

Limit (AISC Table B4.1)

2
E J F S h
Lr 1.95rt 1 1 6.76 L x o (AISC F4-8)
FL S x ho E J

26
 Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Compression FLB (Noncompact Flange)
Flexure Strength
pf
M n R pc M yc R pc M yc FL S xc M p (AISC F4-12)

rf pf

Compression FLB (Slender Flange)

Flexure Strength
0.9 Ekc S x
Mn (AISC F4-13)
2
4
kc
h / tw
(kc shall not be less than 0.35 and not greater than 0.76)
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 Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Tension Flange Yielding S xt S xc
Flexure Strength

M n R pt M yt R pt Fy S xt (AISC F4-14)

Rpt = web plastification factor to the tension flange yielding limit

(a) hc/tw pw Rpt=Mp/Myt (AISC F4-15a)
(b) hc/tw > pw (AISC F4-15b)

Mp Mp pw M p
R pt 1

M yt M yt rw pw M yt

28
 Shear Strength
Failure Mode
Shear-Buckling Coefficient

Elastic Shear Strength

Inelastic Shear Strength

Plastic Shear Strength

For shear vVn(v = 0.9 except certain rolled I-

beam h/tw2.24E/Fy, v = 1.0)
Vn=0.6FyAwCv (AISC G2-1)
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 Shear Strength (cont.)
Failure Mode
The web of a beam or
plate girder buckles
when the web shear
stress exceeds the
critical stress.

30
 Shear Strength (cont.)
Nominal Shear Strength Vn (v = 0.9)
plastic when p and y
inelastic when r and 0.8 y

elastic when r and cr

Vn
r
Vp

plastic inelastic elastic

Vr

p r
31
 Shear Strength (cont.)
AISC G2 Nominal Shear Strength Vn
(a) For h k E Cv 1.0 (AISC G2-3)
1.10 v
tw Fyw

kv E
1.10
Fy
(a) For 1.10
kv E

h k E
1.37 v Cv (AISC G2-4)
Fy tw Fy h
tw

(a) For 1.37
kv E

h 1.51Ek (AISC G2-5)
Fyw t w Cv 2
v

h F
tw y

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Lateral Bracing Design

33
Lateral Bracing Design
AISC Provisions Stability
Bracing Design for Beams

1. For stiffness reqd,

reqd = 2 ideal

2. For nominal strength Fbr,

(a) Fbr = ideal (20);
(b) Fbr = ideal (0.004Lb)
Where ideal = Pcr/Lb

34
 Lateral Bracing Design (cont.)
AISC Provisions LRFD Stability Bracing Design for Beams
0.008M r Cd
1. Relative bracing Re quired Prb
h0
=0.75
1 4M C
Re quired rb r d

Lb h0

2. Nodal bracing 0.02M r Cd

Re quired Prb
h0

1 10M r Cd
Re quired br
Lb h0
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 Lateral Bracing Design (cont.)
AISC Provisions LRFD Stability Bracing Design for Columns

1. Relative bracing Re quired Prb 0.004 Pr

=0.75
1 2P
Re quired rb r
Lb

2. Nodal bracing Re quired Prb 0.01Pr

1 8Pr
Re quired br
Lb
36