CSE 29362 Structural Steel Design 1

Beam buckling, lateral torsional buckling,

codified design rules bending strength,
equivalent uniform moment factor mLT ,
effective length coefficient

Dr. H. C. HO
Prof. K. F. CHUNG
Review of L6 - Codified column buckling design
2
Pc ≥ Pc where Pc = pc A
The compressive strength, pc depends on the slenderness, λ ,
of the gross section, the design strength, py , and the relevant
column buckling curves.
py
The compressive strength, pc , is given by:
pEpy pE
pc = pc
2
pEp y pc
where
p y (1 η)pE λ
py is the design strength
2
2
π E
pE λ is the slenderness
λ2

η is the Perry factor a is the Robertson constant

a(λ λ o ) E
= >0 λo = 0.2π
1000 py
Review of L6 - Codified column buckling design
3
a is the Robertson constant
= 2.0 curve a The values of a are determined
3.5 b after calibration against test data
5.5 c for different types of sections and
8.0 d axes of buckling.
Selection of column buckling curves
Type of section Axis of buckling
x-x y-y
Rolled I section T ≤ 40 mm a b
T > 40 mm b c
Rolled H section T ≤ 40 mm b c
T > 40 mm c d

Welded I or H section T ≤ 40 mm b c
T > 40 mm b d
Hot rolled structural hollow section a a
Welded box section T ≤ 40 mm b b
T > 40 mm c c

Perry-Robertson formula
(pE – pc)(py – pc) = η pE.pc
Review of L6 - Codified column buckling design
4
Review of L6 - Codified column buckling design
5
Member under bending
6
All structural members including columns and beams may fail in buckling where
the members sudden deflect laterally and twist out of the plane of loading.
Lateral or flexural buckling
A member involves transverse displacements, u or v, of the centroid of the cross- section,
and it is resisted by the flexural rigidities, EIx or EIy ,of the member.
Torsional buckling
A member involves the longitudinal rotation of the cross section, and it is resisted by the
torsional rigidity, GJ, of the member.

Lateral torsional or flexural-torsional buckling

A combination of bending and torsion includes both the displacement and the rotation of the
cross section.
Lateral buckling Torsional buckling Lateral torsional buckling

u
u
v

ø
Member under bending
7
While a column under axial compression force may undergo lateral buckling, a
beam under lateral force may undergo lateral torsional buckling (LTB).

LTB occurs in a member which has small lateral flexural and torsional
rigidities, i.e. small EIy and GJ.
LTB occurs when a beam is bent in its plane of larger stiffness compared
to the other plane, and all of a sudden, it deflects laterally and twists out of
the plane of loading.
LTB is only possible when the following two criteria are satisfied:
The section has different flexural rigidities about its two principal axes.
The applied load causes bending about the axis associated with the larger
flexural rigidity in the pre-buckled state.

The following actions should be considered in beams undergoing lateral

torsional buckling:
Uniform torsion
Non-uniform torsion
Warping
Member under bending
8
Uniform torsion in a I-section

When a pair of equal but opposite torques is applied to the ends of a simply supported
beam of a I-section, the twisting moment along the member length is constant, and
the beam is under uniform torsion.
Part of the twisting moment is resisted by the shear stresses developed within the
cross section.
It is assumed that the stress at any point acts parallel to the tangent to the midline of
the cross section, and the magnitude is proportional to the distance from the midline
of plate.
This shear stress is associated with a torsion called St. Venant torsion (Tsv).
From mechanics of materials, the St. Venant torsion is given by,
dγ
Tsv = GJ
dz
Tsv is the St. Venant torsion
G is the shear modulus
J is the torsional constant of the cross section
z is the longitudinal axis along the length of beam
is the rate of twist
Member under bending
9
Non-uniform torsion in a I-section
However, non-uniform torsion also exists in the I-section, and it is part of the
twisting moment resisted by the differential twisting of the flanges.

y
y

h/2 Vf

x x

Vf

In both the top and the bottom flanges, a pair of shear forces with the same
magnitude but opposite in direction acting through a distance of h/2, and induces a
twisting moment to resist the applied torsion. This part of the twisting moment is
denoted as Tw.
Member under bending
10
Warping in a I-section
Moreover, during lateral torsional buckling of the I-section, the cross-section deforms in
the axial direction when subjected to torsion, i.e. a plane cross-section does not
remain plane. This phenomenon is called warping.

The characteristics of warping are:

It is a type of axial flange deformation, and hence, the original plane section does
not remain plane.
It occurs in a beam subjected to equal and opposite torques.
The flanges tend to bend in the opposite senses about a vertical axis through the
web.
Member under bending
11
Lateral torsional buckling in a beam
The elastic critical buckling moment of a beam under lateral loads
with a rectangular bending moment diagram, Mb , is given by:

π EIyGJ 2
EH
ME (1 ) where =1-(Iy/Ix)
L L2 GJ

It is important to recognize that as lateral torsional buckling involves the

flexural buckling, torsional buckling and warping of the beam, its
elastic critical buckling moment is defined in terms of the flexural rigidity
EI, the torsional rigidity GJ , and the warping rigidity EH as well as the
geometry of the beam.

It should be noted that lateral torsional buckling is possible only if the cross
section of a beam possesses different flexural rigidities about its two
principal planes, and the applied load causes bending in the plane with
larger flexural rigidity.
Member under bending
12
Lateral torsional buckling in a beam

It should be noted that if Iy = Ix, becomes zero, and according to the

equation, ME becomes infinity.

π EIyGJ 2
EH where =1-(Iy/Ix)
ME (1 )
L L2 GJ

Thus, for the cases when Iy equals or exceeds Ix , there is no solution to the
equation, and hence, there is no lateral torsional buckling. As a result,
lateral torsional buckling will never occur in square or circular cross
sections.
Moreover, lateral torsional buckling will never occur in sections bending
about the axis associated with smaller flexural rigidity.
Member under bending
13
Lateral torsional buckling in a beam
The elastic critical buckling moment of a reference beam under
uniform bending moment, ME , is given by:

π EI y GJ π 2 EH A combination of lateral
ME = 1 torsional warping rigidity
γ=1-(Iy / Ix)
LE γ L2E GJ
Both u and v are functions of the
lateral torsional warping
geometry and the section properties of
(flexural) the steel sections.
They are tabulated in design handbook
Use the equivalent slenderness λLT for ease of calculation. Typical values of
u is 0.88.
λLT = u v λ for Class 1 or 2 sections
u = buckling parameter =

x = torsional index =
1
v = 41
1 λ
2

20 x
Member under bending
14
Codified beam buckling design
Moment resistance, Mb , against lateral torsional buckling (LTB)

Mx ≤ Mb / mLT and Mx ≤ Mcx

where
Mb = pb x S for Class 1 or 2 sections, or
= pb x Z for Class 3 sections
Mx is the applied moment, and
Mcx is the moment capacity of the steel section.
mLT is the equivalent uniform moment factor for LTB

The bending strength pb depends on

• the equivalent slenderness, λLT
λLT = u v λ for class 1 or 2 sections
= u v λ (βw)1/2 where βw = Zx / Sx for class 3 sections
the design strength of material, py
• the member type, i.e. rolled sections or fabricated sections
Member under bending
15
Codified beam buckling design
The bending strength pb is calculated with the same Perry Robertson
formula as for columns.
Member under bending
16
Equivalent uniform moment factor mLT for LTB

The moment resistance, Mb , obtained from the design method is based

on a reference beam with a rectangular bending moment diagram, i.e. the
compression flange of the beam buckles like a column under axial load
with uniform compression along its length.

However, in many beams under lateral loads, the bending moments are
not uniform, i.e. the compression flange is subjected varying compression
force according to the bending moment diagrams.

Hence, it is important to recognize this effect, and to take advantages of

the fact that the compression flanges in beams are often ‘less
compressive’ than that in the reference beam.

An equivalent uniform moment factor, mLT, is thus established to allow for

such advantage.
Member under bending
17
Equivalent uniform moment factor mLT for LTB
Member under bending
18
Equivalent uniform moment factor mLT for LTB
Member under bending
19
Equivalent uniform moment factor mLT for LTB
Member under bending
20
Effective length for lateral-torsional buckling
Cl. 8.3.4 Hong Kong Steel Code 2011

Simple beams without intermediate lateral restraints

a For beams under normal loading condition with compression
flanges restrained against lateral movement at its end supports,
but free to rotate on plan and ends under nominal torsional
restraint at the end supports about the longitudinal axis of the
beam, the effective length is 1.0 of the span of the beam as,
LE = LLT

b For beams under normal loading condition with the compression

flange fully restrained against rotation on plan at its end supports,
the effective length can be taken as,
LE = 0.8 LLT

in which LLT is the segment length between lateral restraints under

consideration.
Member under bending
21
Effective length for lateral-torsional buckling

Simple beams without intermediate lateral restraints

c For beams under normal loading condition with compression
flanges unrestrained against lateral movement at end supports
with both flanges free to rotate on plan, the effective length is the
sum of 1.2 of the span of the beam and 2 times the beam depth
as,
LE = 1.2 LLT + 2 D

d For beams under destabilising loads, the effective length should be

multiplied by a factor of 1.2.

in which LLT is the segment length between lateral restraints under

consideration.