2/28/2019

Steel Design

Introduction to Beams
Baraa J. Mahmood, Ph.D.

University of Mosul – College of Engineering

Definition of Beams:

Beams are structural members that support transverse

loads and are therefore subjected primarily to flexure, or
bending. If a substantial amount of axial load is also
present, the member is referred to as a beam‐column.

Also, can be defined as:

Beams are usually said to be members that support
transverse loads. They are probably thought of as being
used in horizontal positions and subjected to gravity or
vertical loads, but there are frequent exceptions‐roof
rafters, for example.

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Types of Beams:
There are many types of beams such as:
Girders are the beams spaced at the largest interval in a
floor or roof system. They support the most load in a floor
or roof system. The primary loads on girders are the
reactions of other beams and possibly some columns.

Floor beams support joists.
Joists beams are the most closely spaced beams in a
floor system. They support the concrete floor slab.

Roof beams support purlins. 

Types of Beams (cont.):

Purlins are the most closely spaced beams in a roof

system. Purlins support the roof surface material.
Spandrel beam support the outside edges of a floor
deck and the exterior walls of a building up to next floor
level.
Lintels beams span over window and door openings in a 
wall. A lintel supports the wall portion above a window or 
door opening.

Girts are exterior wall beams attached to the exterior

columns in an industrial‐type building. They support the
exterior wall and provide bending resistance due to wind.

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Section used in Beams:

In design process, the primary objective is select the suitable
cross section. Most often, this selection will entail choosing a
standard cross‐sectional shape that is widely available rather
than requiring the fabrication of a shape with unique
dimensions and properties. The selection of an "off‐the‐shelf"
item will almost always be the most economical choice.
In steel construction, there are two main families of structural
members:
Hot‐rolled shapes Cold‐formed shapes

The largest category of standard shapes includes those

produced by hot‐rolling. There are commonly used cross‐
sectional shapes include the W‐ and S‐ shapes. Channel C
shapes are sometimes used, as are beams built up from
plates, in the form of I or boxes shapes.

Doubly symmetric shapes such as the standard rolled W‐

and S‐ shapes are the most efficient. Cross sections of
some of the more commonly used hot‐rolled shapes are
shown in Figure (1).

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W18 x 50
W: Wide‐flange shape.
18: Nominal depth in inch.
50: Weight, pound per foot of length. Figure (1)

The W‐shape, also called a wide‐flange shape, consists of

two parallel flanges separated by a single web, and two
axes of symmetry. The American Standard, or S‐shape
(formerly called an I‐beam), is similar to the W‐shape in
having two parallel flanges, a single web, and two axes of
symmetry. The difference is in the proportions.

For S‐shapes, they are used primarily for special

situations, such as when narrow flange widths are
desirable, where shearing forces are very high, or when
the greater flange thickness to the web may be desirable
where lateral bending occurs, as perhaps with crane rails.

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The W‐shapes will normally prove to be the most

economical beam section, and they have largely replaced
channels C‐ and S‐sections for beam usage. Channels are
sometimes used for beams subjected to light loads.
Also, there are hollow shapes called hollow structural
section. These shapes categorized as steel pipe, round
HSS, square and rectangular HSS, as shown in Figure (2).

Figure (2)

Built‐Up Shapes:
Building up sections is an effective way of strengthening
an existing structure that is being rehabilitated or
modified for some use other than the one for which it
was designed, as when a cover plate is welded to one or
both flanges of a W‐shape.

A built‐up shape must be used because none of the

standard rolled shapes are large enough; that is, the cross
section does not have enough area or moment of inertia.
In such cases, plate girders can be used. These can be I‐
shaped sections, with two flanges and a web, or box
sections, with two flanges and two webs.

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The components can be welded together and can be

designed to have exactly the properties needed. Built‐up
shapes can also be created by attaching two or more
standard rolled shapes to each other, such as plate girder,
box section, double angle, and double channel, Figure (3).

Figure (3)

The most commonly used steels for rolled shapes and

plate material are ASTM A36, A572, and A992. Table (1)
shows the tensile properties of each type.

Table (1)

Properties A36 A572 grade 50 A992

Yield point, min. 36 ksi 50 ksi 50 ksi

Tensile strength, min. 58 – 80 ksi 65 ksi 65 ksi

Yield to tensile ratio,
‐ ‐ 0.85
max.
Elongation in 8 in, min. 20% 18% 18%

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LTB of a beam with intermediate constraint 

https://sdcverifier.com/articles/standards/eurocode3‐member‐checks/

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References:
 Jack C. McCormac and Stephen F. Csernak, 2012, Structural steel
design. 5th edition.
 William T. Segui, 2012, Steel Design, 5th edition.
 J. C. Smith, 1996, Structural Steel Design LRFD Approach, 2nd
edition.
 Dennis Lam, Thien‐Cheong Ang, and Sing‐Ping Chiew, 2013,
Structural Steelwork Design to Limit State Theory, 4th edition.