Specification for

Allowable Stress Design and

Plastic Design
June 1,1989
with Commentary

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION, INC.

One East M c k e r Drive, Suite 3100
Chicago, 1
1 60601-2801
5 - 12
PREFACE
The AISC Specijicationfor Structural SteelBuildings-Allowable Stress Design (ASD)
and Plastic Design has evolved through numerous versions from the 1st Edition,
published June 1, 1923. Each succeeding edition has been based upon past success-
ful usage, advances in the state of knowledge and changes in design practice. The data
included has been developed to provide a uniform practice in the design of steel-
framed buildings. The intention of the Specification is to provide design criteria for
routine use and not to cover infrequently encountered problems which occur in the
full range of structural design.

The AISC Specification is the result of the deliberations of a committee of structural

engineers with wide experience and high professional standing, representing a wide
geographical distribution throughout the U. S. The committee includes approxi-
mately equal numbers of engineers in private practice, engineers involved in re-
search and teaching and engineers employed by steel fabricating companies.

To avoid reference to proprietary steels, which may have limited availability, only
those steels which can be identified by ASTM specifications are listed as approved
under this Specification. However, some steels covered by ASTM specifications, but
subject to more costly manufacturing and inspection techniques than deemed essen-
tial for structures covered by this Specification, are not listed, even though they may
provide all of the necessary characteristics of less expensive steels which are listed.
Approval of such steels is left to the owner's representative.

The Appendices to this Specification are an integral part of the Specification.

A Commentary has been included to provide background for these and other
provisions.

This edition of the Specification has been developed primarily upon the basis of the
criteria in the Specification dated November 1, 1978. That Specification, as well as
earlier editions, was arranged essentially on the basis of type of stress with special
or supplementary requirements for different kinds of members and details contained
in succeeding sections. The provisions of the 1978 Specification have been reorga-
nized using decision table logic techniques to provide an allowable stress design spec-
ification that is more logically arranged on the basis of type of member.

This arrangement is more convenient to the user because general design require-
ments are presented first, followed by chapters containing the information required
to design members of each type. This organization is consistent with that used in the
Load and Resistance Factor Design Specification for Structural Steel Buildings.

The principal changes incorporated in this edition of the Specification include:

Reorganization of provisions to be consistent with LRFD format.
New provisions for built-up compression members.
* New provisions for the design of webs under concentrated forces.
Updated provisions for slender web girders.
Updated provisions for design for fatigue.
Recommendations for the use of heavy rolled shapes and welded members
made up of thick plates.
The reader is cautioned that independent professional judgment must be exercised
when data or recommendations set forth in this Specification are applied. The publi-
cation of the material contained herein is not intended as a representation or war-
ranty on the part of the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.-or any other
person named herein-that this information is suitable for general or particular use,
or freedom from infringement of any patent or patents. Anyone making use of this
information assumes all liability arising from such use. The design of structures is
within the scope of expertise of a competent licensed structural engineer, architect,
or other licensed professional for the application of principles to a particular struc-
ture.

By the Committee,

A. P. Arndt, Chairman A. L. Johnson

E. W. Miller, Donald L. Johnson
Vice Chairman L. A. Kloiber
Horatio Allison William J. LeMessurier
Lynn S. Beedle Stanley D. Lindsey
Reidar Bjorhovde Richard W. Marshall
Omer W. Blodgett William McGuire
Roger L. Brockenbrough William A. Milek
John H. Busch Walter P. Moore
Wai-Fah Chen William E. Moore, 11
Duane S. Ellifritt Thomas M. Murray
Bruce Ellingwood Clarkson W. Pinkham
Shu-Jin Fang Egor P. Popov
Steven J. Fenves Donald R. Sherman
Richard F. Ferguson Frank Sowokinos
James M. Fisher Sophus A. Thompson
John W. Fisher William A. Thornton
Theodore V. Gaiambos Raymond H. R. Tide
Geerhard Haaijer Ivan M. Viest
Mark V. Holland Lyle L. Wilson
Ira Nooper Joseph A. Yura
Jerome S. B. Iffland Charles Peshek, Secretary

June 1989
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GENERAL PROVlSlONS
A l . Scope
A2. Limits of Applicability
1. Structural Steel Defined
2. Types of Construction
A3. Material
1. Structural Steel
2. Steel Castings and Forgings
3. Rivets
4. Bolts, Washers and Nuts
5. Anchor Bolts and Threaded Rods
6. Filler Metal and Flux for Welding
7. Stud Shear Connectors
A4. Loads and Forces
1. Dead Load and Live Load
2. Impact
3. Crane Runway Horizontal Forces
4. Wind
5. Other Forces
A5. Design Basis
1. Allowable Stresses
2. Wind and Seismic Stresses
3. Structural Analysis
4. Design for Serviceability and Other Considerations
A6. Referenced Codes and Standards
A7. Design Documents
1. Plans
2. Standard Symbols and Nomenclature
3. Notation for Welding

B. DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
B1. Gross Area
B2. Net Area
B3. Effective Net Area
B4. Stability
B5. Local Buckling
1. Classification of Steel Sections
2. Slender Compression Elements
 B6. Rotational Restraint at Points of Support
B7. Limiting Slenderness Ratios
B8. Simple Spans
B9. End Restraint
B10. Proportions of Beams and Girders
B11. Proportioning of Crane Girders

C. FRAMES AND OTHER STRUCTURES

C l . General
C2. Frame Stability
1. Braced Frames
2, Unbraced Frames

D. TENSION MEMBERS
D l . Allowable Stress
D2. Built-up Members
D3. Pin-connected Members
1. Allowable Stress
2. Pin-connected Plates
3. Eyebars

E. COLUMNS AND OTHER COMPRESSION MEMBERS

E l . Effective Length and Slenderness Ratio
E2. Allowable Stress
E3. Flexural-torsional Buckling
E4. Built-up Members
E5. Pin-connected Compression Members
E6. Column Web Shear

F. BEAMS AND OTHER FLEXURAL MEMBERS 5-45

F1. Allowable Stress: Strong Axis Bending of
I-Shaped Members and Channels 5-45
1. Members with Compact Sections 5-45
2. Members with Noncompact Sections 5-46
3. Members with Compact or Noncompact Sections with Unbraced 5-46
Length Greater than LC
F2. Allowable Stress: Weak Axis Bending of I-Shaped Members, 5-48
Solid Bars and Rectangular Plates
1. Members with Compact Sections 5-48
2. Members with Noncompact Sections 5-48
5 - 16
F3. Allowable Stress: Bending of Box Members,
Rectangular Tubes and Circular Tubes
1. Members with Compact Sections
2. Members with Noncompact Sections
F4. Allowable Shear Stress
F5. Transverse Stiffeners
F6. Built-up Members
F7. Web-tapered Members

6. PLATE GIRDERS
G1. Web Slenderness Limitations
G2. Allowable Bending Stress
G3. Allowable Shear Stress with Tension Field Action
G4. Transverse Stiffeners
G5. Combined Shear and Tension Stress

H. COMBINED STRESSES
H I . Axial Compression and Bending
H2. Axial Tension and Bending

I. COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION
11. Definition
12. Design Assumptions
13. End Shear
14. Shear Connectors
15. Composite Beams or Girders with Formed Steel Deck
1. General
2. Deck Ribs Oriented Perpendicular to Steel Beam or Girder
3. Deck Ribs Oriented Parallel to Steel Beam or Girder
16. Special Cases

J. CONNECTIONS, JOINTS AND FASTENERS

J1. General Provisions
1. Design Basis
2. Simple Connections
3. Moment Connections
4. Compression Members with Bearing Joints
5. Connections of Tension and Compression Members in Trusses
6. Minimum Connections
7. Splices in Heavy Sections
8. Beam Copes and Weld Access Holes
 9. Placement of Welds, Bolts and Rivets
10. Bolts in Combination with Welds
11. High-strength Bolts in Slip-critical Connections
in Combination with Rivets
12. Limitations on Bolted and Welded Connections
J2. Welds
1. Groove Welds
2. Fillet Welds
3. Plug and Slot Welds
4. Allowable Stresses
5. Combination of Welds
6. Mixed Weld Metal
7. Preheat for Heavy Shapes
J3. Bolts, Threaded Parts and Rivets
1. High-strength Bolts
2. Size and Use of Holes
3. Effective Bearing Area
4. Allowable Tension and Shear
5. Combined Tension and Shear in Bearing-type Connections
6. Combined Tension and Shear in Slip-critical Joints
7. Allowable Bearing at Bolt Holes
8. Minimum Spacing
9. Minimum Edge Distance
10. Maximum Edge Distance and Spacing
11. Long Grips
J4. Allowable Shear Rupture
J5. Connecting Elements
1. Eccentric Connections
2. Allowable Shear Rupture
J6. Fillers
J7. Splices
J8. Allowable Bearing Stress
J9. Column Bases and Bearing on Masonry and Concrete
J10. Anchor Bolts

K. SPECIAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

K1. Webs and Flanges Under Concentrated Forces
1. Design Basis
2. Local Flange Bending
3. Local Web Yielding
4. Web Crippling
5. Sidesway Web Buckling
6. Compression Buckling of the Web
7. Compression Members with Web Panels Subject to High Shear
8. Stiffener Requirements for Concentrated Loads
 K2. Ponding
K3. Torsion
K4. Fatigue

L. SERVICEABILITY DESIGN CONSlDERATlONS

L1. Camber
L2. Expansion and Contraction
L3. Deflection, Vibration and Drift
1. Deflection
2. Vibration
L4. Connection Slip (see Sect. J3)
L5. Corrosion

M. FABRICATION, ERECTION AND QUALITY CONTROL

M I . Shop Drawings
M2. Fabrication
1. Cambering, Curving and Straightening
2. Thermal Cutting
3. Planing of Edges
4. Welded Construction
5. High-strength Bolted Construction-Assembly
6. Compression Joints
7. Dimensional Tolerances
8. Finishing of Column Bases
M3. Shop Painting
1. General Requirements
2. Inaccessible Surfaces
3. Contact Surfaces
4. Finished Surfaces
5. Surfaces Adjacent to Field Welds
M4. Erection
1. Alignment of Column Bases
2. Bracing
3. Alignment
4. Fit of Column Compression Joints
5. Field Welding
6. Field Painting
7. Field Connections
M5. Quality Control
1. Cooperation
2. Rejections
3. Inspection of Welding
4. Inspection of Slip-critical, Iligh-strength Bolted Connections
5. Identification of Steel
N. PLASTIC DESIGN
N1. Scope
N2. Structural Steel
N3. Basis for Maximum Strength Determination
1. Stability of Braced Frames
2. Stability of Unbraced Frames
N4. Columns
N5. Shear
N6. Web Crippling
N7. Minimum Thickness (Width-thickness Ratios)
N8. Connections
N9. Lateral Bracing
N10. Fabrication

APPENDICES
B. DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
85. Local Buckling
2. Slender Compression Elements

F. BEAMS AND OTHER FLEXURAL MEMBERS

F7. Web-tapered Members
1. General Requirements
2. Allowable Tensile Stress
3. Allowable Compressive Stress
4. Allowable Flexural Stress
5. Allowable Shear
6. Combined Flexure and Axial Force

K. STRENGTH DESIGN CONSlDEWATlONS

K4. Fatigue
1. Loading Conditions; Type and Location of Material
2. Allowable Stress Range
3. Tensile Fatigue

NUMERICAL VALUES
 COMMENTARY

A. GENERAL BROVlSlONS
A2. Limits of Applicability
2. Types of Construction
A3. Material
1. Structural Steel
4. Bolts, Washers and Nuts
6. Filler Metal and Flux for Welding
A4. Loads and Forces
2. Impact
3. Crane Runway Horizontal Forces
A5. Design Basis
1. Allowable Stresses

B. DESIGN REQUlREMENfS
53. Effective Net Area
84. Stability
85. Local Buckling
56. Rotational Restraint at Points of Support
B7. Limiting Slenderness Ratios
510. Proportions of Beams and Girders

C. FRAMES AND OTHER STRUCTURES

62. Frame Stability

D. TENSION MEMBERS
D l . Allowable Stress
D3. Pin-c~nnectedMembers

E. COLUMNS AND OTHER COMPRESSION MEMBERS

E l . Effective Length and Slenderness Ratio
E2. Allowable Stress
E3. Flexural-torsional Buckling
E4. Built-up Members
E6. Column Web Shear
AMERICAN OF STEEL
INSTITUTE CONSTRUCTION
F. BEAMS AND OTHER FLEXURAL MEMBERS
F1. Allowable Stress: Strong Axis Bending of I-shaped Members
and Channels
1. Members with Compact Sections
2. Members with Noncompact Sections
3. Members with Compact or Noncompact Sections
with Unbraced Length Greater than LC
F2. Allowable Stress: Weak Axis Bending of I-shaped Members,
Solid Bars and Rectangular Plates
F3. Allowable Stress: Bending of Box Members,
Rectangular Tubes and Circular Tubes
F4. Allowable Shear Stress
F5. Transverse Stiffeners

G. PLATE GIRDERS
G1. Web Slenderness Limitations
G2. Allowable Bending Stress
63. Allowable Shear Stress with Tension Field Action
G4. Transverse Stiffeners
G5. Combined Shear and Tension Stress

H. COMBINED STRESSES
HI. Axial Compression and Bending
H2. Axial Tension and Bending

I. COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION
11. Definition
12. Design Assumptions
14. Shear Connectors
15. Composite Beams or Girders with Formed Steel Deck

d. CONNECTIONS, JOINTS AND FASTENERS

J1. General Provisions
7. Splices in Heavy Sections
9. Placement of Welds, Bolts and Rivets
10. Bolts in Combination with Welds
J2. Welds
4. Allowable Stresses
6. Mixed Weld Metal
5 - 22
J3. Bolts, Threaded Parts and Rivets
4. Allowable Tension and Shear
5. Combined Tension and Shear in Bearing-type Connections
6. Combined Tension and Shear in Slip-critical Joints
7. Allowable Bearing at Bolt Holes
8. Minimum Spacing
9. Minimum Edge Distance
10. Maximum Edge Distance and Spacing
11. Long Grips
J4. Allowable Shear Rupture
J6. Fillers
J8. Allowable Bearing Stress
J9. Column Bases and Beat'ing on Masonry and Concrete
J10. Anchor Bolts

K. SPECIAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

K1. Webs and Flanges Under Concentrated Forces
1. Design Basis
3. Local Web Yielding
4. Web Crippling
5. Sidesway Web Buckling
K2. Ponding
K3. Torsion
K4. Fatigue

L. SERVICEABILITY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

L1. Camber
L2. Expansion and Contraction
L3. Deflection, Vibration and Drift
1. Deflection
2. Vibration
L5. Corrosion

M. FABRICATION, ERECTION AND QUALITY CONTROL

M2. Fabrication
2. Thermal Cutting
5. High-strength Bolted Construction-Assembly
M3. Shop Painting
M4. Erection
4. Fit of Column Compression Joints
N. PLASTIC DESIGN
N1. Scope
N2. Structural Steel
N3. Basis for Maximum Strength Determination
1. Stability of Braced Frames
N4. Columns
N5. Shear
N6. Web Crippling
N7. Minimum Thickness (Width-thickness Ratios)
N8. Connections
N9. Lateral Bracing

APPENDICES
B. DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
B5. Local Buckling
2. Slender Compression Elements

F. BEAMS AND OTHER FLEXURAL MEMBERS

F7. Web-tapered Members
3. Allowable Compressive Stress
4. Allowable Flexural Stress

SYMBOLS

LIST OF REFERENCES

GLOSSARY