Technical Note:

Torsional Analysis of Steel Sections

WILLIAM E. MOORE II and KEITH M. MUELLER

sional stresses, end conditions and combining torsional

T orsional analysis of rolled steel sections is generally
accomplished with torsional function curves which
have been published by the American Institute of Steel Con-
struction 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 pro-
gramming.
The equations for the angle of twist, θ, for twelve cases
of torsional loading and end conditions are given in AISC’s
Design Guide No. 9, but the successive derivatives of θ
(θ', θ'', and θ''') are not given. These derivatives are required
to determine the torsional stresses in the following equa-
tions:
Pure Torsional Shear Stress = Gtθ '
Warping Normal Stress = E Wns θ ''
ES ws
Warping Shear Stress =− θ '''
t
where
G =shear modulus of elasticity; 11,200 ksi for steel
t =thickness of the element, in.
E =modulus of elasticity; 29,000 ksi for steel
Wns =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-
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 θ, θ', θ'', and θ''' for the twelve com-
monly 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 dimen-
sional factors and may be used with any consistent set of
units. Each set of equations has been tested against a solu-
tion 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
(1) doubtful value, the ease and speed of computation is
immensely helpful.
(2)
REFERENCES
(3)
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.

William E. Moore, II, is consultant, Ferro Products Corpora-

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

182 / ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002

 APPENDIX

The following variables and constants are used throughout Case 2—Concentrated Torques with Fixed Ends
the appendix:

a = ECw T T
GJ
G = shear modulus of elasticity; 11,200 ksi for steel
E = modulus of elasticity; 29,000 ksi for steel L
Cw = warping constant, in.2
J = torsional constant, in.4
T = concentrated torque, kip-in.
 z z z
t = running torque load, kip-in./ft θ = c1  c2 cosh − c2 + − sinh
L = span length, in.  a a a 
z = length from left support to cross-section ana- c1  z z
θ' = 1.0 − cosh + c2 sinh 
lyzed, in. a  a a
c1  z z
θ '' = 2 
c 2 cosh − sinh 
Case 1—Concentrated Torques with Free Ends a  a a
c  z z
θ ''' = 13  − cosh + c2 sinh 
T T a  a a

where
L Ta
c1 =
GJ
L
Tz c2 = tanh
θ= 2a
GJ
T
θ' =
GJ
θ '' = θ ''' = 0

ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002 / 183

 Case 3—Concentrated Torque with Pinned Ends Case 4—Uniformly Distributed Torque with Pinned Ends

t
T

L
αL L(1− α)
 L  z2  
θ = c1a 2  2  z −  + cosh z − tanh L sinh z − 1.0 
 2a  L a 2a a 
0 ≤ z ≤ αL
L  2z  
θ ' = c1a  1.0 −  + sinh z − tanh L cosh z 
θ = c1 (1.0 − α ) z + c 2a sinh z   2a  L a 2a a
 a 
 z L z 
θ ' = c1 (1.0 − α )+ c2 cosh z  θ '' = c1  cosh − tanh

sinh −1.0 

 a  a 2a a
c1c2 c1  z L z
θ '' = sinh z θ ''' = sinh − tanh cosh 
a a a  a 2a a
c1c2
θ ''' = 2 cosh z
a a
where
t
αL < z ≤ L c1 =
GJ
  sinh αL 
  
θ = c1 ( L − z )α + a  a z
sinh − sinh α L cosh  
z
Case 5—Linearly Varying Torque with Pinned Ends
 L a a a
 
tanh
a   t
 sinh αL 
θ ' = c1  a z
cosh − sinh α L sinh − α 
z
 tanh L a a a 
 a 
L
 αL 
c sinh a
θ '' = 1  sinh z − sinh α L cosh z
a  tanh L a a a
 a 
 z 
2 2 sinh z3
 αL  
θ = c1L − 2 + z za a a − 2
c1  sinh a 6 L L sinh L 6 L 
θ ''' = 2 cosh z − sinh α L sinh z   
a  tanh L a a a a
 a   
2 cosh z z2 
 1
θ ' = c1 L − 2 + a a a −
6 L L sinh L 2 L2 
where  a 
T
c1 =  sinh z 
GJ
θ '' = c1  a − z
 sinh L L 
sinh αL  
c2 = a − cosh α L a
tanh L a  cosh z 
a  a 1
θ ''' = c1 −
 a sinh L L 
 a 

where
c1 = t
GJ

184 / ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002

 Case 6—Concentrated Torque with Fixed Ends

0 ≤ z ≤ αL
  z  z
θ = c1a c2  cosh − 1.0  − sinh z +
  a  a a 
 z z 
θ ' = c1  c2 sinh − cosh + 1.0  T
 a a 
c1  z z
θ '' = c cosh − sinh 
a  2 a a
c1  z z
αL L(1− α)
θ ''' = 2 
c2 sinh − cosh 
a  a a

αL < z ≤ L
 z z z
θ = Hc1a  c3 + c4 cosh + c5 sinh − 
 a a a
 z z 
θ ' = Hc1  c4 sinh + c5 cosh − 1. 0
 a a 
Hc1  z z
θ '' =  c4 cosh + c5 sinh
a  a a 
Hc1  z z
θ ''' = 2 
c4 sinh + c5 cosh 
a  a a 
where
 αL   αL  
 1.0 − cosh a   cosh a −1.0  
 + + sinh αL − αL 
 tanh L sinh L a a
 a a 
H=  
 L αL L αL  
  cosh a + cosh a cosh a − cosh a −1.0  
 + L (α − 1.0) − sinh αL 
 sinh L a a 
 a 
 
T
c1 =
( H + 1)GJ
 cosh αL  cosh α L
c2 = H  1
+ sinh αL − a  + sinh α L − a + 1
 sinh L a L
tanh   a tanh L tanh L
 a a a a
 αL   αL L L L
 cosh a − 1.0  cosh a − cosh a + a sinh a 
c3 = +
H sinh L sinh L
a a
 αL   αL L
1.0 − cosh a  1.0 − cosh a cosh a 
c4 = +
H tanh L sinh L
a a
 α L 
 cosh a − 1.0
c5 = + cosh αL
H a

ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002 / 185

Case 7—Uniformly Distributed Torque with Fixed Ends Case 8—Linearly Varying Torque with Fixed Ends

t t

L
L

θ = c1a  c2 (cosh z − 1.0) + z (1 − z ) − sinh z 

 a a L a    z3 
z   z z
θ = c1  c2  cosh − 1.0  + S  sinh −  − 3 
 2z 
θ ' = c1  c2 sinh z + 1.0 − − cosh z    a   a a  6 L 
 a L a
c1  z2a 
c  2a  θ' =  c2 sinh z + S cosh z − S − 3 
θ '' = 1  c2 cosh z − − sinh z  a a a 2L 
a a L a
c1  z z c1  za 2 
θ ''' = c2 sinh − cosh  θ '' = c cosh z + S sinh z − 3 
2  2
2  a  a a L 
a  a a
c1  z + S cosh z − a 
3
θ '' = c
 2 sinh
where a3  a a L3 
tL
c1 =
2GJ where
1 + cosh L 2
c2 = a c1 = tL
sinh L GJ
a a
c2 = − S tanh L
2 L sinh L 2a
a
 L 
 a  sinh 
L  a

2 L  cosh a − 1.0 − 6.0 
S= 
 L L L 
 a sinh a + 2.0 − 2 cosh a 
 
 

186 / ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002

Case 9—Concentrated Torque with Fixed and Free End Case 10—Partially Uniformly Distributed Torque with
Fixed and Free End

T t

αL L(1− α) αL L(1-α)

0 ≤ z ≤ αL 0 ≤ z ≤ αL
  z  z   z   αL z  
θ = c1a c2  cosh − 1.0  − sinh z + θ = c1a c2 a  cosh − 1.0  − α Lsinh z + z  −
  a  a a    a  a  a 2 a 
 z z   z z 
θ ' = c1  c2 sinh − cosh + 1.0  θ ' = c1  c2 a sinh − αL cosh + α L − z
 a a   a a 
c1  z z c1  z z 
θ '' = c cosh − sinh  θ '' =  c2 a cosh − α L sinh − a
a  2 a a a a a 
c1  z z c1  z z
θ ''' = c2 sinh − cosh θ ''' = 2 
c2 a sinh − αL cosh 
2 
a  a a  a  a a 

αL < z ≤ L αL < z ≤ L
 L z z α L  z z
θ = c1a  c3 − c4 tanh cosh + c4 sinh + θ = c1a 2  c3 − c4 cosh + c5 sinh 
 a a a a   a a
 L z z  z z
θ ' = c1c4  − tanh sinh + cosh  θ ' = c1a  − c4 sinh + c5 cosh 
 a a a  a a
c1c4  L z z  z z
θ '' = − tanh cosh + sinh θ '' = c1  − c4 cosh + c5 sinh 
a  a a a   a a
c1c4  L z z c1  z z
θ ''' =  − tanh a sinh a + cosh a  θ ''' =  − c4 sinh + c5 cosh 
a2  a a a

where where
T t
c1 = c1 =
GJ GJ
c2 = sinh αL − tanh L cosh α L + tanh L  αL αL 
c2 = tanh L  − sinh + cosh αL
a a a a a a a  a
L
c3 = tanh cosh α L L
− tanh − sinh α L
c3 = tanh L sinh αL − cosh αL − α L tanh L +1.0 + α L2
2 2
a a a a
a a a a a 2a
c4 = cosh α L − 1.0
a  αL αL 
c4 =  sinh − tanh L
 a a  a

c5 = sinh αL − αL
a a

ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002 / 187

 Case 11—Linearly Varying Torque with Free and Case 12—Uniformly Distributed Torque with Fixed
Fixed End and Pinned Ends

t t

L
L

 5 L2  a L  L  1 L    L z L z z 
1.0 − 2 −  −  tanh + z  − + 2    H  tanh − − tanh cosh + sinh 
 6a  L 2a  a  L a 
 a a a a a  
θ = c1   z  
θ = c1 cosh z 
  a L  sinh a z3   2 
+  −    − 2  a − 1 − z
+ 
  L 2a   cosh L  6a L   cosh L cosh L 2a
2

 a 
 a a 
  z 
c1  a L  a L   cosh a  z2   z 
θ ' = − + +  −  −   sinh
c L z z z
a L a  L 2 a   cosh L  2 aL  θ' = 1  H  −1.0 − tanh sinh + cosh  +
a −
  a  a   a a a L a 
cosh
  z   a 
c1  a L   sinh a  z   z 
θ '' = 2  +  −
a  L 2a   cosh L  L 
cosh
c1   L z z a −1 .0 
  a  θ '' = 2  H  − tanh cosh + sinh  + 
a   a a a  L 
cosh
  z   a 
c1  a L   cosh a  a 
θ ''' =  −  −  z 
a3  L 2 a   cosh L  L  c1   L z z
sinh 
  a  θ ''' = 3  H  − tanh sinh + cosh  + a
a   a a a L
cosh 
 a 
where
ta 2
c1 = where
GJ
ta 2
c1 =
GJ
  
 L2 1  1 
H =  2 − 1.0 +
2 a L L L
 cosh   tanh − 
 a a a

188 / ENGINEERING JOURNAL / FOURTH QUARTER / 2002