Course on Design of Steel Structures

Professor Damodar Maity

Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Lecture 52
Module 11
Design of Laterally Unsupported Beams

Hello today I am going to discuss about the design steps for Laterally Unsupported Beams. In
fact in last lecture we have discussed how to calculate the Lateral Torsional Buckling moment
and what will be the lateral torsional buckling stress and then we have found how to calculate
the design bending strength. Today with the based on the last days lecture we will follow
certain design steps and after that we will go through one example.

Now in design steps basically we will try to find out first a appropriate section based on the
approximate section modulus and then we will check whether the assumed section is safe
against the bending forces coming on to the member then we will check for shear whether it
is safe or not, then we will go for checking deflection, web buckling and web crippling.

(Refer Slide Time: 1:57)

So coming to design steps first we will calculate what will be the service load acting on the
beam. So once we calculate the service load then we can find out the factored load. So after
calculation of factored load we can find out the factored maximum bending moment and
shear force.
After that we can start with a trial plastic section modulus means we can find out a plastic

Md
section modulus based on this formula that, Z p= . Remember this is considering
f y /γ m 0
the section to be laterally supported.

But in case of laterally unsupported beam a major amount of stress is reduced due to lateral
torsional buckling. So the section modulus whatever coming here will not be sufficient, we
have to increase substantially. So that the chosen section is safe against this bending moment
due to lateral torsional buckling. So what we can do we will choose a higher plastic section
modulus which is necessary to account for lateral torsional buckling. Actually we do not
know exactly what percentage of increase is required. So we can try with 40 percent or 50
percent increased value of plastic section modulus, however it is a trial and error process, so
finally we have to do the trial method and we have to find out the actual requirement. So after
finding an appropriate section modulus we can choose a suitable section, based on that plastic
section modulus.

(Refer Slide Time: 4:59)

And then with that section we will check whether the section is capable of taking that much
moment due to lateral torsional buckling or not, if that is fine then we can go to step 4, where
we have to check the beam for shear. So we will check for shear, if the design shear stress is
more than the shear force coming on to the beam then it is fine or we have to increase the
again we have to increase the section size to take care the shear.
In step 5, we will check for deflection as per Table 6 where the limiting deflection is given
and we know, what is the maximum deflection of that particular beam, based on the loading
condition and support condition. So based on the loading condition and support condition we
can find out the maximum deflection on that particular beam and we will check whether the
maximum deflection is exceeding the limit permissible limit or not. If maximum deflection is
exceeding the permissible limit then again we have to increase the section size to
accommodate this otherwise if it is not then the section is safe from serviceability point of
view then what you can do we can go for next step.

Next step is the web buckling, so we know the beam web may buckle due to the consistent
load acting on the member or at the support. So we have to check the web buckling and if the
buckling strength is more than the force coming on that particular place then it is fine
otherwise we have to increase the section size or we can increase the bearing length, if we
increase the bearing length then also we can increase the buckling strength and we can keep it
safe. Once it is done then we will go for web crippling. So this is the process which we have
to follow to design a laterally unsupported beam. So the process is basically a trial and error
process.

(Refer Slide Time: 9:01)

Example: Design a simply supported steel joist of 5 m effective span, carrying a uniformly
distributed load 12 kN/m if compression flange of the joist is laterally unrestrained.

Solution

Step-1: BM & SF on beam

Load on the beam = 12 kN/m

Factored load = 12 × 1.5 = 18 kN/m

Max. B. M. = 18 × 52/8 kN-m

= 56.25 kN-m

Max S. F. = 18 × 5/2

= 45 kN

Step-2: Selection of initial section,

M 56.25 ×10 6 3
Z p= = =247.5× 10 kNm
f y /γ m 0 250/ 1.1

Increasing 50%, the required Z p will be 1.5 ×247.5 ×103

= 371.25 ×103 kNm

(Refer Slide Time: 9:07)

Step-3 : Calculate bending strength of section,

Select ISHB 200 @ 40 kg/m

D = 200 mm ry = 44.2 mm Zpz = 414.23 × 103 mm3

bf = 200 mm R1 = 9 mm Zez = 372.2 × 103 mm3

tf = 9.0 mm tw = 7.8 mm d = 200 – 2×(9+9) = 164 mm

After calculation it is seen that the section is not adequate and need to increase the section
size to ISLB 325…

(Refer Slide Time: 13:12)

Select ISLB 325

D = 325 mm ry = 30.5 mm Zpz = 687.76 × 103 mm3

bf = 165 mm R1 = 16 mm Zez = 607.7 × 103 mm3

tf = 9.8 mm Ixx = 9870 × 104 mm4

tw = 7.0 mm Iyy = 510.8 × 104 mm4

d = 325 – 2×(9.8+16) = 273.4 mm

(Refer Slide Time: 17:18)

Section classification:

b/tf = 82.5/9.8 = 8.41 < 9.4

d/tw = 273.4/7.0 = 39 < 84

Hence, section is plastic.

Calculation of bending strength:

KL/ry = 5000/30.5 hf/tf = (325 – 9.8 )/9.8

= 164 = 32.16

From Table 14, IS 800: 2007

fcr,b = 122.82 N/mm2

From Table 13(a), IS 800: 2007,

fbd = 93.17 N/mm2

So, Md = 1×687.76×103×93.17

= 58.57 kN-m > 56.25 kN-m

OK.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:42)

Step-4: Check for shear:

Design shear strength of the section,

fy 250
V d= D t w= ×3 25 ×7 × 10−3=299 kN > V=45 kN
√ m0
3 γ √ 3 ×1.1

Step-5: Check for deflection:

5 w l4 5 ×1 2× 50004
δ= = =4.9 mm
384 EI 384 ×2 ×105 × 9870× 104

Allowable maximum deflection, L/300 = 5000/300 = 16.67 mm.

Hence, safe against deflection.

(Refer Slide Time: 25:06)

(Refer Slide Time: 27:14)

Step-6: Check for web buckling:

Assuming stiff bearing length 100 mm

n1 = D/2 = 325/2 = 162.5 mm

C/S area for web buckling Ab = (b + n1) × tw

 = (100 + 162.5) × 7.0 = 1837.5 mm

Effective length of web, leff = 0.7 × 273.4 = 191.38 mm

I = 100 × 73/12 = 2858.33 mm3

(Refer Slide Time: 29:09)

A = b × tw = 100 × 7 = 700 mm2

rmin =
√ 2858.33
700
=2.02

λ = leff/rmin = 191.38/2.02 = 94.742

From Table 9(c), IS 800: 2007, fcd = 114.364 N/mm2

Capacity of the section, Ab × fcd = 1837.5 × 114.364 = 210 kN

> 45 kN

Hence, the section is safe against web buckling.

Step-7: Check for web crippling:

( b 1+ n2 ) ×t w × f y
Fcrip=
γ m0

n2=2.5 ( 16+ 9.8 )=64.5 mm

 ( 100+64.5 ) ×7 × 250
Fcrip= =261.70 kN > 45 kN
1.1

Hence, the section is safe against web crippling

(Refer Slide Time: 32:19)

(Refer Slide Time: 34:44)

Now I will go through a few slides that is the design of beam with GUI based MATLAB
algorithm. So here what we have seen that especially when the design has to be done for
unsupported beam we need to do lot of iteration. So manually to do all these things is very
hectic therefore what we suggest that if we can develop a GUI based algorithm then once it is
developed, it can be very useful. So my students has developed a software. I am
demonstrating here where the beam design is done for two cases, one is for laterally
supported beam and another one is laterally unsupported beam, right. So by choosing a
particular type we can go to the design of that case. So once we choose say for this case we
have chosen unsupported beam.

(Refer Slide Time: 35:58)

Then if we go to next then we can provide these requirement like the maximum factored
shear, maximum factored bending moment, the effective span etc. These are the input which
we need to take from the user and maximum deflection coming on the on the beam. So
maximum deflection we can calculate from the formula and this also can be done through
algorithm but that will be very complicated because in that case we have to find out what is
the support condition, what is the loading condition and because of loading and support
condition deflection we have to find out the deflection. Therefore we can calculate manually
for particular case and we can enter this value what is the maximum deflection.

Then we have to assign the properties of steel, like yield stress, we can give the command to
take the default value of grade Fe410 or we can insert the yield stress value manually. In a
similar way we can give the command to the input of partial safety factor and young’s
modulus.
(Refer Slide Time: 38:03)

So once we go to next it will show whatever data we have entered. Next there is two option
here one is design for economic section and check for a particular section. So if user want to
find out an economical section the program will find lowest size of the section which will be
safe under the given condition. In other option we can chose a particular section and we can
check whether that section is safe or not.

(Refer Slide Time: 38:56)

So after that if we click on proceed then it will show the results. So in the results we will see
that the software is giving ISJC 150 as economical section. So now if we click on output.doc
then the intermediate calculations are given in the file which can be seen and if one user want
to check the intermediate calculations he can cross check from the output file.
And if the user want to redesign, that option is also there, he has to click on redesign then it
will go back to the first slide and it will ask for data. So the option of redesign is there which
can be used. We can check for a particular section also. So for that we have to click on
particular section and then we will see whether it is okay or not, say for this case the selected
beam was not okay so that is shown and there also the user can redesign and can find out
some other section which may be safe.

So this is how one can develop the logic and make a flow chart and then can find out
algorithm. So I would suggest the viewers to make their own algorithm according to their
own logic, and write a program whatever language they are comfortable may be Python, may
be C, may be MATLB, may be Fortran and this way he can develop the software and that will
be customized software he can use forever.

So this is all about the design of beam. In next class we will discuss certain other things like
the how to calculate the plastic section modulus that we will see because that I have not
covered in this class also purlin and gantry girder will be taught in next few classes