PORTAL FRAMES

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
NIKITA ARUN DUSING
L.S.RAHEJA S.O.A

Portal frames are generally low-rise structures, comprising

columns and horizontal or pitched rafters, connected by
moment-resisting connections. This form of continuous frame
structure is stable in its plane and provides a clear span that is
unobstructed by bracing. They are very efficient for enclosing
large volumes, therefore they are often used for industrial,
storage, retail and commercial applications as well as for
agricultural purposes.

The portal frames are usually placed at 5 to 10 metres apart

and the steel columns are fixed or partially fixed at the base.
The roof of such buildings are always constructed using
corrugated steel sheets supported by steel purlins which are in
turn supported by the rafters.
The main objective of this form of design is to reduce bending
moment in the beam, which allows the frame to act as one
structural unit.
If a conventional, simply supported beam, (steel or concrete)
was used over a large span, an excessive bending moment
would occur at mid-span which would necessitate an
uneconomical, probably impractical deep, heavy beam or an
elaborate system of lattice struts.
The portal frame eliminates the need for a lattice of struts and
ties within the roof space giving greater usable volume and a
more pleasing internal appearance.

Portal frames are made in a variety of shapes and sizes. There

are generally 3 types of portal frames :1. Steel portal frame
2. Timber portal frame
3. Concrete portal frame

They are usually made from steel, but can also be made from
concrete or timber. The portal structure is designed in such a
way that it has no intermediate columns, as a result large open
areas can easily be created within the structure. Portal Frames
are generally used for single storey construction which require
a large unobstructed floor space.
STEEL PORTAL FRAME The early use of the rigid portal frame coincided with the
introduction of a wide range of a cold formed, profiled steel
sheets for roofing, which could be fixed at a low pitch and be
weather tight. Long-span portal frames may have a pin-joint
connection at the ridge to allow some flexure between the
rafters of the frame which are pin-jointed to foundation bases
to allow flexure of posts due to spread under load.
For economy in the use of a standard section, short and
medium-span steel portal frame s are often fabricated from
one mild-steel I-section for both rafters and posts, with the
rafters welded to the posts without any increase in depth at
the knee.
Short-span portal frames may be fabricated off site as one
frame. Medium-span portal frames are generally fabricated in
two halves for ease of transport and are assembled on site
with bolted connections of the rafters at the ridge, with high
strength friction grip.
Advantages of portal buildings Large spans achieved
Speedily erected
Factory produced
Lighter foundations required
Enables recycling when the building comes to the end of
its life
Easily extended and adapted
Disadvantages of portal frame buildings Requires some form of coating to prevent rust
Requires fire protection coating
External coatings have to be maintained

TIMBER PORTAL FRAME Combinations of slender timber sections glued, or glued or

nailed together, are used in portal frames for medium-and
long-span roofs for such buildings as churches, assembly halls,
sports halls and other single-storey structures where the
timber portal frames are exposed for appearance sake.
Advantages Timber has a natural resistance to fungal decay.
insect attack can be prevented by impregnating timber
with insecticide preservative.
timber, which is a combustible material, is not easy to
ignite in the sizes usual to buildings.
Once ignited, timber burns very slowly and forms a
protective layer of charcoal on its surface which insulates
the remainder from the worst effects of fire.

 the surface of soft wood timber can be treated with flame

retardants to achieve necessary rate of flame spread.

PRE-CAST REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME For several years following the end of the second world
war(1945) there was a considerable shortage of structural
steel in this country and it was then that the reinforced
concrete portal frames came into common use for agricultural,
storage, factory, and other single-storeyed buildings.
A limited range of standard, pre-cast reinforced concrete portal
frames was supplied for the economic benefit of repetitive
casting in standard moulds and close control of mixing, placing
and compaction of concrete that is possible in factory
conditions.
Advantages they require no maintenance during the useful life of the
building.
it has a better resistance to collapse during fires than an
unprotected steel frames.

 economy of section area gained by the use of the plastic

method of design in the design of steel frames is
considerably less with reinforced concrete.
cover of concrete to the steel reinforcement to inhibit rust
and give protection during fires.
Disadvantages They have to be formed in standard size moulds, for the
sake of economy, there is only a limited range of sizes.

Types of portal frame 1. Pitched roof symmetric portal frame Generally fabricated from UB sections with a substantial eaves
haunch
section, which may be cut from a rolled section or
fabricated from plate. 25 to 35 m are the most efficient spans.

Pitched roof symmetric portal frame

Lancashire Waste Development

2. Portal frame with internal mezzanine floor

Office accommodation is often provided within a portal frame
structure using a partial width mezzanine floor.
The assessment of frame stability must include the effect of
the mezzanine.

Portal frame with internal mezzanine floor

Waters Meeting Health Centre, Bolton

3. Crane portal frame with column brackets

Where a travelling crane of relatively low capacity (up to say
20 tonnes) is required, brackets can be fixed to the columns to
support the crane rails. Use of a tie member or rigid column
bases may be necessary to reduce the eaves deflection.
The spread of the frame at crane rail level may be of critical
importance to the functioning of the crane; requirements
should be agreed with the client and with the crane
manufacturer.

Crane portal frame with column brackets

Tied portal frame

4. Tied portal frame

In a tied portal frame the horizontal movement of the eaves
and the bending moments in the columns and rafters are
reduced. A tie may be useful to limit spread in a cranesupporting structure.
The high axial forces introduced in the frame when a tie is
used necessitate the use of second-order software when
analyzing this form of frame.
5. Mono-pitch portal frame
A mono pitch portal frame is usually chosen for small spans or
because of its proximity to other buildings. It is a simple
variation of the pitched roof portal frame, and tends to be used
for smaller buildings (up to 15 m span).

6. Propped portal frame

Where the span of a portal frame is large and there is no
requirement to provide a clear span, a propped portal frame
can be used to reduce the rafter size and also the horizontal
shear at the foundations.

Propped portal frame

Rebottling Plant, Hemswell

7. Mansard portal frame

A mansard portal frame may be used where a large clear
height at mid-span is required but the eaves height of the
building has to be minimized.

Mansard portal frame

Curved rafter portal frame

8. Curved rafter portal frame

Portal frames may be constructed using curved rafters, mainly
for architectural reasons. Because of transport limitations
rafters longer than 20 m may require splices, which should be
carefully detailed for architectural reasons.
The curved member is often modelled for analysis as a series
of straight elements.
Alternatively, the rafter can be fabricated as a series of
straight elements. It will be necessary to provide purlin cleats
of varying height to achieve the curved external profile.
9. Cellular beam portal frame
Rafters may be fabricated from cellular beams for aesthetic reasons
or when providing long spans. Where transport limitations impose
requirement for splices, they should be carefully detailed, to
preserve the architectural features.
The sections used cannot develop plastic hinges at a cross-section,
so only elastic design is used.

Cellular beam portal frame

Hayes garden centre

Connections The major connections in a portal frame are the eaves and
apex connections, which are both moment-resisting. The eaves
connection in particular must generally carry a very large
bending moment. Both the eaves and apex connections are
likely to experience reversal in certain combinations of actions
and this can be an important design case. For economy,
connections should be arranged to minimize any requirement
for additional reinforcement (commonly called stiffeners). This
is generally achieved by:
1) Making the haunch deeper (increasing the lever arms)
2) Extending the eaves connection above the top flange of the
rafter (an additional bolt row)
3) Adding bolt rows
4) Selecting a stronger column section.

Eaves connection

Apex connection

Ridge joint or Apex joint

knee joint

Hinges are introduced into a portal frame at the base

connection and at the center or apex of the spanning member
giving three basic forms of portal frame:
1. FIXED OR RIGID PORTAL FRAME
2. TWO PIN PORTAL FRAME
3. THREE PIN PORTAL FRAME
1.

Fixed or Rigid Portal Frames

All connections are rigid, used for small to medium sized

frames where stresses and therefore, bending moments, are
low.
2. Two pin portal frame
Hinges are used at the base sections. Connections to allow
movement. Used when there are high base stresses and/or
weak ground.
3. Three-pinned portal frame
These have hinged joints at the base connections and at the
center of the spanning member. The effect of the third hinge is
to reduce the bending moment in the spanning member but it
will increase its deflection.
To overcome this disadvantage, the spanning member must be
given a moderate pitch to raise its apex well above eaves
level. The advantages of this type are that it is easier to
construct, transport and erect on site, especially with preformed.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS In the design and construction of any structure, a large number
of inter-related design requirements should be considered at
each stage in the design process. The following discussion of
the design process and its constituent parts is intended to give
the designer an understanding of the inter-relationship of the

various elements of the structure with its final construction, so

that the decisions required at each stage can be made with an
understanding of their implications.
Choice of material and section
Steel sections used in portal frame structures are
usually specified in grade S275 or S355 steel.
In plastically designed portal frames, Class 1 plastic
sections must be used at hinge positions that rotate, Class 2
compact sections can be used elsewhere.
Clear span and height
The clear span and height required by the client are key to
determining the dimensions to be used in the design, and
should be established early in the design process. The client
requirement is likely to be the clear distance between the
flanges of the two columns the span will therefore be larger,
by the section depth. Any requirement for brickwork or
blockwork around the columns should be established as this
may affect the design span.
Where a clear internal height is specified, this will usually be
measured from the finished floor level to the underside of the
haunch or suspended ceiling if present.
Frame dimensions
Dimensions used for analysis and clear internal dimensions
A critical decision at the conceptual design stage is the overall
height and width of the frame, to give adequate clear internal
dimensions and adequate clearance for the internal functions
of the building.

ACTIONS ON PORTAL FRAMES PERMANENT ACTIONS

Permanent actions are the self-weight of the structure,
secondary steelwork and cladding. Where possible, unit

weights of materials should be obtained from manufacturers

data.
Service loads
Service loads will vary greatly depending on the use of the
building. In portal frames heavy point loads may occur from
suspended walkways, air handling units etc.
It is necessary to consider carefully where additional provision
is needed, as particular items of plant must be treated
individually.
VARIABLE ACTIONS
Imposed roof loads
Snow loads
Wind actions
Crane actions
Accidental actions
Robustness
Fire
When a portal frame is close to the boundary, there are several
requirements aimed at stopping fire spread by keeping the
boundary intact:
The use of fire resistant cladding
Application of fire protection of the steel up to the underside
of the haunch.
The provision of a moment resisting base (as it is assumed
that in the fire condition rafters go into catenary).