Design of Beams and other Flexural Members

Factors affecting Allowable Bending Stress:

1. Whether the section is compact or non-compact

2. Distance between lateral support

Compact Sections:

1. Flange must be continuously connected to the web. (not intermittently connected

by welds) bf
2. For the flange: bf / 2tf ≤ 170 / Fy
3. For the web: d/ tw ≤ 1680 / Fy tf

Critical distance between lateral support (Lc ): tw

d x (major axis)
Lc = 200 bf / Fy or 137,900 / [(d/Af )Fy]
whichever is smaller. direction
of lateral
support
Allowable Bending Stress , Fb , for I and C sections bent about major axis:

1. For members with Lb ≤ Lc :

a) For compact section: Fb = 0.66Fy in both tension and compression

b) For non-compact section:

Fb = Fy [ 0.79 – 0.000762(bf / 2tf ) Fy ] for members that are not built-up

in both tension and compression and with Fy ≤ 448 MPa

Fb = Fy [ 0.79 – 0.000762(bf / 2tf ) Fy / kc for built-up members

in both tension and compression and with Fy ≤ 448 MPa
where:

kc = 405 /(h/tw)0.46 if (h/tw) > 70, otherwise kc = 1.0

Fb = 0.60Fy for members not covered above

in both tension and compression
2. For member with Lb > Lc :

a) Allowable bending stress in tension

Fb = 0.60 Fy for both compact and non-compact section

b) Allowable bending stress in compression

i) When L/rT ≤ 703,270 Cb / Fy (short column action)
Fb = 82,740 Cb / (Ld/Af ) but ≤ 0.60Fy

ii) When 703,270 Cb / Fy ≤ L/rT ≤ 3,516,330 Cb / Fy

Fb = [ 2/3 - Fy (L/rT )2 / (10.55 x 106 Cb )] Fy or

= 82,740 Cb / (Ld/Af ) whichever is larger but ≤ 0.60Fy

ii) When L/rT > 3,516,330 Cb / Fy (long column action)

Fb = 1,172,100 Cb / (L/rT )2 or

= 82,740 Cb / (Ld/Af ) whichever is larger but ≤ 0.60Fy

The moment gradient multiplier, Cb is :

Cb = 1.75 + 1.05 (M1 / M2 ) + 0.3 (M1 / M2 )2 ≤ 2.3

where,
M1 = smaller end moment and M2 = larger end moment
M1 / M2 is positive when the end moments are of the same sign
and negative when the end moments have opposite sign.
Cb = 1.0 when the bending moment at any point of the unbraced length is
larger than the end moments of the length.

bf = flange width, in mm.

t f = flange thickness, in mm.
d = depth of section, in mm.
tw = web thickness, in mm.
Af = area of compression flange , (bf t f ) in mm2.
L = Lb = distance between lateral supports on compression flange, in mm.
rT = radius of gyration of the section comprising the compression flange
plus 1/3 of the compressive web area, taken about an axis in the plane
of the web, in mm.
Allowable Bending Stress, Fb , for members bent about the weak axis:

A) Members with compact sections:

Fb = 0.75 Fy

B) Members with non-compact sections:

Fb = Fy [ 1.075 – 0.0019(bf / 2tf ) Fy ] for I and H shapes with non-compact

flanges that are continuously connected
to the web.

Fb = 0.60 Fy for other cases.

Actual bending stress:

fb = Mc/I = M/S

where
M = moment at the section
c = distance from the neutral axis to the extreme fibers in tension or compression
I = moment of inertia of the section
S = I/c section modulus (particularly applicable to rolled sections)
Problem: A built-up beam below is made of A36 steel with Fy = 248 Mpa. The flanges are
connected to the web by means of fillet welds. The beam is simply supported
at its ends, without additional lateral supports within the span. Check if section
is compact or not.

Figure: bf = 450mm tf = 20mm Solution:

Ix = (450)(540)3 / 12 - 2(215)(500)3 /12

= 1,425,733.33 mm4
Sx = Ix / c = 1,425,733.33 / (540/2)
= 5,280,494 mm3
x x
d = 540mm h = 500mm Check if section is compact or not:

bf /2 tf = 450/(2x20) = 11.25
tw = 20mm 170/ Fy = 170/ 248 = 10.79

bf /2 tf > 170/ Fy therefore

20mm the compression flange
is non-compact
d/tw = 540/20 = 27
1680/ Fy = 1680 / 248 = 106.7

d/tw < 1680/ Fy the web is compact.

Lc = 200 bf / Fy or 137,900 / [(d/Af )Fy] whichever is smaller

= [200(450)]/ 248 or 137,900/[ (540/(450x20))248]
= 5,715 mm or 9,267.5mm
= 5,715 mm or 5.715m.