Technical Note:

Torsional Analysis of Steel Sections

WILLIAM E. MOORE II and KEITH M. MUELLER

orsional analysis of rolled steel sections is generally

accomplished with torsional function curves which
have been published by the American Institute of Steel Construction in Design Guide No. 9, Torsional Analysis of
Structural Steel Members (Seaburg and Carter, 1997),
which is an update to an earlier Bethlehem Steel publication
(Heins and Seaburg, 1963). Such problems are more easily
solved with a personal computer than with charts, and this
paper presents the equations in a form suitable for programming.
The equations for the angle of twist, , for twelve cases
of torsional loading and end conditions are given in AISCs
Design Guide No. 9, but the successive derivatives of
(', '', and ''') are not given. These derivatives are required
to determine the torsional stresses in the following equations:
(1)
Pure Torsional Shear Stress = Gt '
Warping Normal Stress

= E Wns ''

Warping Shear Stress

where
G
t
E
Wns

ES ws
'''
t

sional stresses, end conditions and combining torsional

stresses with bending and shear stresses.
The user is encouraged to program the pinned and fixed
end conditions on the same output in order to compare the
trade-off between rotational stiffness and warping normal
stress.
The equations for , ', '', and ''' for the twelve commonly encountered loading and end conditions presented in
the AISC Design Guide No. 9 are given in the Appendix of
this paper. The case numbers are consistent with those given
in the design guide. These equations contain no dimensional factors and may be used with any consistent set of
units. Each set of equations has been tested against a solution using the curves from the AISC Design Guide (Seaburg
and Carter, 1997). Although the additional precision
afforded by using the equations (instead of the curves) is of
doubtful value, the ease and speed of computation is
immensely helpful.

(2)
REFERENCES
(3)

=
=
=
=

shear modulus of elasticity; 11,200 ksi for steel

thickness of the element, in.
modulus of elasticity; 29,000 ksi for steel
normalized warping function at a point s on the
cross section, in.2
Sws = warping statical moment at a point s on the
cross section, in.4
The reader is referred to the AISC Design Guide No. 9
(Seaburg and Carter, 1997) for a general discussion of tor-

William E. Moore, II, is consultant, Ferro Products Corporation, Charleston, WV.

Keith M. Mueller is senior engineer, American Institute of
Steel Construction, Inc., Chicago, IL.

182 / ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002

Seaburg, P.A. and Carter, C.J. (1997), Torsional Analysis of

Structural Steel Members, Steel Design Guide Series No.
9, AISC, Chicago, IL.
Heins, C.P. and Seaburg, P.A. (1963), Torsion Analysis of
Rolled Steel Sections, Bethlehem Steel Company Steel
Design File, 1963-B.

APPENDIX
The following variables and constants are used throughout
the appendix:
a

G
E
Cw
J
T
t
L
z

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

ECw
GJ
shear modulus of elasticity; 11,200 ksi for steel
modulus of elasticity; 29,000 ksi for steel
warping constant, in.2
torsional constant, in.4
concentrated torque, kip-in.
running torque load, kip-in./ft
span length, in.
length from left support to cross-section analyzed, in.

Case 1Concentrated Torques with Free Ends

Case 2Concentrated Torques with Fixed Ends

L
z
z

= c1 c2 cosh c2 + sinh

a
a
' =

z
a

c1
z
z
1.0 cosh + c2 sinh
a
a
a

c1
z
z
c 2 cosh sinh
2

a
a
a
c
z
z
''' = 13 cosh + c2 sinh
a
a
a
'' =

where

L
Tz
GJ
T
' =
GJ
'' = ''' = 0
=

c1 =

Ta
GJ

c2 = tanh

L
2a

ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002 / 183

Case 3Concentrated Torque with Pinned Ends

Case 4Uniformly Distributed Torque with Pinned Ends

L(1 )

z2
= c1a 2 2 z + cosh z tanh L sinh z 1.0
a
a
2a
L
2a

0 z L

2z
' = c1a 1.0 + sinh z tanh L cosh z
a
a
2a
L
2a
z
L
z

'' = c1 cosh tanh

sinh 1.0

a
a
2a

= c1 (1.0 ) z + c 2a sinh z
a

' = c1 (1.0 )+ c2 cosh z

a

c1c2
sinh z
a
a
c1c2
''' = 2 cosh z
a
a
'' =

''' =

where
c1 =

L < z L

sinh L

a
L

z
z
sinh sinh
cosh
= c1 ( L z ) + a
L
a
a
a
tanh

sinh L

a
L

z
z

cosh sinh
sinh
' = c1
a
a
a
tanh L

a
L

c sinh a
'' = 1
sinh z sinh L cosh
a tanh L
a
a

z
a

c1 sinh a
''' = 2
cosh z sinh L sinh z
a
a
a
a tanh L

a
where
c1 =

c1
z
L
z
sinh tanh
cosh
a
2a
a
a

T
GJ

sinh L
a cosh L
c2 =
a
tanh L
a

t
GJ

Case 5Linearly Varying Torque with Pinned Ends

L
z

2
2 sinh
z3
za
a
a
z

= c1L 2 +
2
L sinh L 6 L
6 L

cosh z
2
z2
a
a
a
1

' = c1 L 2 +

L sinh L 2 L2
6 L

a
sinh z

a z
'' = c1
sinh L L

a
cosh z

1
a

''' = c1

a sinh L L

where
c1 = t
GJ

184 / ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002

Case 6Concentrated Torque with Fixed Ends

0 z L

z

= c1a c2 cosh 1.0 sinh z +

a

z
z

' = c1 c2 sinh cosh + 1.0

a
a
'' =

c1
z
z
c cosh sinh
a 2
a
a

''' =

c1
z
z
c2 sinh cosh
2
a
a
a

z
a

L(1 )

L < z L
z
z z

= Hc1a c3 + c4 cosh + c5 sinh

a
a a
z
z

' = Hc1 c4 sinh + c5 cosh 1. 0

a
a
'' =

Hc1
z
c4 cosh + c5 sinh

a
a

z
a

''' =

Hc1
z
z
c4 sinh + c5 cosh
2

a
a
a

where

L
L

1.0 cosh a cosh a 1.0

+
+ sinh L L
a
a

tanh L
sinh L
a
a

H=

L
L
L
L

cosh a + cosh a cosh a cosh a 1.0

+ L ( 1.0) sinh L
a
a

sinh L
a

T
c1 =
( H + 1)GJ

cosh L
cosh L
1

L
a
L
a + 1

+ sinh

+ sinh

c2 = H
sinh L

a
L
a
L
tanh
tanh
tanh L

a
a
a
a
L L
L
L
L

cosh a 1.0 cosh a cosh a + a sinh a
c3 =
+
sinh L
H sinh L
a
a
L
L
L

1.0 cosh a 1.0 cosh a cosh a

+
c4 =
sinh L
H tanh L
a
a

cosh a 1.0
+ cosh L
c5 =
a
H
ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002 / 185

Case 7Uniformly Distributed Torque with Fixed Ends

Case 8Linearly Varying Torque with Fixed Ends

L
= c1a c2 (cosh z 1.0) + z (1 z ) sinh z

a
a
L
a
2z

' = c1 c2 sinh z + 1.0

cosh z
a
a

L

z
z z
z3

= c1 c2 cosh 1.0 + S sinh 3

a
a a 6 L

c
2a

'' = 1 c2 cosh z
sinh z
a
a L
a

' =

c1
z2a
c2 sinh z + S cosh z S 3

a
a
a
2L

c1
z
z
c2 sinh cosh
2
a
a
a

'' =

c1
za 2
c cosh z + S sinh z 3
2 2
a
a L
a

'' =

3
c1
z + S cosh z a
c
sinh
2
a
a L3
a3

''' =

where
c1 =

tL
2GJ

1 + cosh L
a
c2 =
L
sinh
a

186 / ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002

where
2
c1 = tL
GJ

S tanh L
2a
2 L sinh L
a
L

sinh
a
L

cosh a 1.0 6.0

L
2
S=
L
L
L
a sinh a + 2.0 2 cosh a

c2 =

Case 9Concentrated Torque with Fixed and Free End

Case 10Partially Uniformly Distributed Torque with

Fixed and Free End

L(1 )

L(1-)

0 z L

0 z L

z

= c1a c2 cosh 1.0 sinh z +

a

a

z
z

' = c1 c2 sinh cosh + 1.0

a
a

z
a

L z
= c1a c2 a cosh 1.0 Lsinh z + z

a 2 a
a

z
z

' = c1 c2 a sinh L cosh + L z

a
a

'' =

c1
z
z
c cosh sinh
a 2
a
a

'' =

c1
z
z

c2 a cosh L sinh a

a
a

''' =

c1
z
c2 sinh cosh
2

a
a

''' =

c1
z
z
c2 a sinh L cosh
2

a
a
a

z
a

L < z L

L < z L
L
z
z L

= c1a c3 c4 tanh cosh + c4 sinh +

a
a
a a

z
z

= c1a 2 c3 c4 cosh + c5 sinh

a
a

z
L
z

' = c1c4 tanh sinh + cosh

a
a
a

z
z

' = c1a c4 sinh + c5 cosh

a
a

'' =

c1c4
L
z
tanh cosh + sinh
a
a
a

z
a

''' =

c1c4
L
z
z
tanh a sinh a + cosh a
a2

''' =

c1
z
z
c4 sinh + c5 cosh

a
a
a

where

where
c1 =

z
z

'' = c1 c4 cosh + c5 sinh

a
a

T
GJ

c2 = sinh L tanh L cosh L + tanh L

a
a
a
a

L
L
L
L
tanh sinh
c3 = tanh cosh
a
a
a
a

L
1.0
c4 = cosh
a

c1 =

t
GJ

L
L
sinh
+ cosh L
c2 = tanh L
a a
a
a
2 2
c3 = tanh L sinh L cosh L L tanh L +1.0 + L2
a
a
a
a
a
2a

L L

c4 = sinh

tanh L
a

a
a
c5 = sinh L L
a
a

ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002 / 187

Case 11Linearly Varying Torque with Free and

Fixed End

Case 12Uniformly Distributed Torque with Fixed

and Pinned Ends

5 L2 a L
L
1
L
1.0 2 tanh + z + 2
a

L 2a
L a
6a

= c1
z

a L sinh a

z3

2
+

L 2a cosh L 6a L

c1 a L a L cosh a
z2
' = + +

a
L a L 2 a cosh L 2 aL

c1 a L sinh a z
'' = 2 +

a L 2a cosh L L

''' =

c1 a L cosh a a

a3 L 2 a cosh L L

where
c1 =

ta 2
GJ

L z
L
z
H tanh tanh cosh + sinh
a a
a
a

z
= c1 cosh
2

a 1 z
+
2
cosh L cosh L 2a
a
a

sinh

L
z
z
z
a

H 1.0 tanh sinh + cosh +

L a
a
a
a

cosh
a

cosh
c1
L
z
z
a 1 .0
'' = 2 H tanh cosh + sinh +

a
a
a
a

cosh

a
z

sinh
c1
L
z
z
a
''' = 3 H tanh sinh + cosh +
L
a
a
a
a
cosh
a

c
' = 1
a

where
ta 2
GJ

1
1
L2

H = 2 1.0 +
L
L L
a
2

cosh tanh

a
a a

c1 =

188 / ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002