Lateral-torsional buckling:

bending about its major axis, failure may

occur by a form of buckling which
involves lateral deflection and twisting.
 E⋅ I y
z
E⋅ I z

π
M cr ⋅ E⋅ I z⋅ G ⋅ I t
L

E:E:modulus
modulusof
ofelasticity
elasticity
IzI: :moment
momentof
ofinertia
inertiaabout
aboutminor
minoraxis
axis
z
G:G:shear
shearmodulus
modulusofofelasticity
elasticity
ItI: :torsion
torsionconstant
constant
t
 π
M cr ⋅ E ⋅ I z⋅ G ⋅ I t
L
IwI : :Warping
Warpingconstant
constant
w

π 
 L 
2
M cr ⋅ E ⋅ I z ⋅ G ⋅ I t + E ⋅ I w⋅
L  π 
2
 
Conditions
Conditionsto
todetermine
determineMMcrcr

• Perfectly elastic, initially straight, loaded by

equal and opposite end moments about its
major axis.
• End Supports …
– Twisting and lateral deflection prevented.
– Free to rotate both in the plane of the web
and on plan.
• Unrestrained along its length
Critical Buckling Moment for uniform
bending moment diagram is:

π EI z
2
 I w L2 GI t 
M cr =  + 2 
 I z π EI z 
2
L

Includes:
• Lateral flexural stiffness EIz
• Torsional and Warping stiffnesses GIt
and EIw
Their relative importance depends on the
type of cross-section used.
• The elastic critical moment for a beam
under uniform bending moment is:

π π EI w 2
M cr = EI zGI t 1 + 2
L L GI t
• The elastic critical moment (mid-span
moment) for a beam with a central
point load is

4.24 π EI w 2
M cr = EI zGI t 1 + 2
L L GI t
which is increased from the basic
(uniform moment) case by a factor
C1=4.24/π=1.365
EC3 expresses the elastic critical moment
Mcr for a particular loading case as:

π π 2 EI w
M cr = C1 EI z GI t 1+ 2
L L GI t
C1 appears as
1/ C10.5 in expressions for λLT.

Bending
Loads L Mmax C1
moment
M M
M 1,00
M
M 1,879
M -M
M 2,752
F
FL/4 1,365
F
FL/8 1,132
F F
FL/4 1,046
= = = =
End
Endsupport
supportconditions
conditions

• Basic case assumes end conditions

which prevent lateral movement and
twist but permit rotation on plan.

• Can include the effect of different

support conditions by redefining the
unrestrained length as an effective
length
– Lateral bending restraint: k
– Warping restraint: kw
•kw = 1.0 unless special provision for
warping fixing is made.

1.0
1.0

0.5
0.5

•EC3 recommends k values of

–0.5 for fully fixed ends,
–0.7 for one free and one fixed end
–1.0 for two free ends.

1.0
1.0

0.5
0.5
• Loads applied to top flange are
destabilizing

•destabilizing increases with depth of

section and/or as span reduces
Beams with intermediate lateral supports

the segments of the beam between

restraints may be treated in isolation

Lengths of beams between restraints

should use an effective length factor
k of 1,0 not 0,7
Design of the beam based on
the most critical segment
beam continuous over a number of spans

--Treat as individual spans

--taking into account the shape of the
bending moment diagram within each span
--as a result of continuity using the C1
factor

1,40ψ++0,52ψ
2
CC11==1,88
1,88––1,40ψ 0,52ψ2

Ψ=0,
C1=1,88

Ψ=−1,
C1=2,927
Non-dimensional plot permits results
from different test series to be
compared M
Mpl

1,0 Mcr
Mpl

Stocky Intermediate Slender

0 1,0
λLT = Mpl
Mcr
stocky beams λLT ≤ 0.4. Lateral torsional
buckling is not considered
slender beam λLT ≥ 1.2. Resistance close
to Mcr.

Intermediate slenderness: adversely

affected by inelasticity and geometrical
imperfections
 EC3 uses a reduction factor χLT on
plastic resistance moment to cover
the whole slenderness range
The design buckling resistance
moment Mb.Rd of a laterally
unrestrained beam is calculated as:

M b .Rd = χ LT β wW pl . y f y / γ M 1

χ LT Class
Class11and
and22 βW 1
Class
Class 33
Reduction factor

W el.y
R

1,0
ol

βW
le
d

W pl.y
se
ct
io
ns

Class
Class 44

Welded beams W eff.y

λ βW
0 1,0 2,0 LT W pl.y
Slenderness
 χ LT = 1
[
φ LT + φLT − λLT
2
]
2 0,5

 2
φ LT = 0,51+ ∝ LT (λ LT − 0.2) + λLT 
 
αLT = 0,21 for rolled sections
αLT = 0,49 for welded sections

The non-dimensional slenderness is calculated:

• EITHER by

λLT = M pl . Rd / M cr
= β w ⋅ W pl . y ⋅ f y / M cr
• OR using
0.5
 λLT  0.5 E
λLT =  βw λ1 = π  
 λ1   fy 
λLT = M pl. Rd / M cr
= βw ⋅Wpl. y ⋅ f y / M cr

π ⋅ E ⋅Wpl.Y
2
fy
= ⋅ 2 ⋅ βw
M cr π ⋅E
π 2 ⋅ E ⋅Wpl.Y
M cr
= ⋅ βw
π ⋅E
2

fy
0.5
E
 λLT  0.5 λ1 = π  
λLT =  βw  fy 
 λ1 
= 93.9 ⋅ ε
A main girder is simply supported. At mid
span a side girder is connected by a
nominally pinned connection. Lateral
restraints are assumed at the supports. The
structural details and the loading are given
in the following figures.

Main girder: IPE 500

Steel grade S275
Span: L = 7 m

Dead load: g = 3.0 kN/m

Imposed load: q = 5.0 kN/m; P = 140 kN
Load combination:
1.35g + 1.5 ( q + P) or 1.35 (g + q +P)

Internal moment and forces

MSd1 = (1.35g)L2/8 + (1.5q)L2/8 + (1.5P)L/4

= 1.35x3.0x72/8 + 1.5x5.0x72/8 + 1.5x140x7/4
= 438.2 kNm
MSd2 = (1.35g)L2/8 + (1.35q)L2/8 + (1.35P)L/4
= 1.35x3.0x72/8 + 1.35x5.0x72/8 + 1.35x140x7/4
= 396.9 kNm
MSd = max (MSd1, MSd2) = 438.2 kNm
VSd1 = (1.35g)L/2 + (1.5q)L/2 + (1.5P)/2
= 1.35x3.0x7/2 + 1.5x5.0x7/2 + 1.5x140/2
= 145.4 kN
VSd2 = (1.35g)L/2 + (1.35q)L/2 + (1.35P)/2
= 1.35x3.0x7/2 + 1.35x5.0x7/2 + 1.35x140/2
= 132.3 kN

VSd = max (VSd1, VSd2) = 145.4 kN

Resistance at ULS
Classification of the cross-section
S275 à fy = 275 N/mm2 ε = √235/275=0.92
Flange: c/t = 100/16 = 6.3 < 10ε = 9.2 Class 1
Web: d/t = 426/10.2 = 41.8 < 72 ε = 66.24 Class 1
Shear resistance verification:
VRd = Av( fy/√3)/γM0
= (5.10x102x275/ √3/1.1)x10-3
= 736.1 kN > 145.4 kN OK!
At mid span:
0.5VRd = 0.5x736.1 = 368.1 kN > 105 kN
-- no interaction bending-shear is required

d/t = 41.8 < 69 ε = 63.5

-- no shear buckling verification is required
Moment resistance verification:
Moment resistance for Class 1 or 2 cross-section
Mc.Rd = Wpl fy / γM0
Wpl = 2194 x 103 mm3
Mc.Rd = 2194 x 103 x 275 / 1.1 = 548.5 kNm
Critical bending moment for doubly symmetric
and transverse load applied on shear center

kw = 1.0, k = 1.0, L = 3.5 m,

C1 either from Table F.1.1 C1 = 1.88

or from C1 = 1.88-1.40Ψ + 0.52 Ψ2

Ψ = 0 à C1 = 1.88

π 2 ⋅ 210000 ⋅ 2140 ⋅ 104

M cr = 1.88 ⋅
3.5 ⋅ 10
2 12

1249000 ⋅ 106 + 0.039 ⋅ 3.5 2 ⋅ 106 ⋅ 89.7 ⋅ 104

2140 ⋅ 104
= 1905.8 kNm
Lateral torsional buckling verification

λ LT = M pl . Rd / M cr
= β w ⋅ W pl . y ⋅ f y / M cr
= 0.56 > 0.4

Lateral torsional buckling verification is required

M b .Rd = χ LT β wW pl . y f y / γ M 1

Class
Class11and
and22 βW 1
αLT = 0,21 for rolled sections
 2
φ LT = 0.5 1+ ∝ LT ( λLT − 0.2) + λLT 
 
= 0.5[1 + 0.21(0.56 - 0.2) + 0.56 ]
2

= 0.6946

χ LT = 1
[
φ LT + φ LT − λLT
2
]
2 0, 5

= 0.9045

M b . Rd = χ LT β wW pl . y f y / γ M 1
= 0.9045 ⋅ 2194 ⋅ 10 ⋅ 275 / 1.1
3

= 496.1 kNm
MRd = min (Mc.Rd, Mb.Rd) = min (548.5, 496.1)
= 496.1 kNm > 438.2 kNm OK!
Serviceability verification

Load combination for serviceability

g + (q+P)
Deflection due to dead load
δ1 = (5/384) (gL4)/(EIy)
= (5/384)(3 x 74x1012)(210000x48200x104)
= 0.93 mm
Deflection due to imposed load
δ2 = (5/384) (qL4)/(EIy)+(1/48)(PL3)/(EIy)
= (5/384)(5 x 74x1012)(210000x48200x104)
+(1/48)(140x73x1012) (210000x48200x104)
= 11.4 mm = l / 614 < l / 300
Maximum deflection
δmax = 11.4 + 0.93 = 12.33 mm
= l / 570 < l / 250 OK!