CENG 

453‐ Design of Steel and Timber Structures            Chapter 7‐ Plate Girders 

7. Plate Girders

7.1 Introduction

Plate girders are used to carry larger loads over longer spans than are possible with rolled universal or
compound beams. They are used in buildings and industrial structures for long-span floor girders, heavy
crane girders and in bridges.

Plate girders are constructed by welding steel plates together to form I-sections. A closed section is
termed as a ‘box girder’.

To be competitive and cost effective, the web of a plate girder is made relatively thin compared to
rolled section, and stiffeners are introduced to prevent buckling either due to compression from bending
or shear.
• Stiffeners are used at the load points, supports and at intermediate points.
• Optimum use of materials is made
• Stability problem due to erection of compression flange

Variations in girder depth are permitted. For instance, for simply supported girders, where the bending
moment is maximum at the centre, the depth may be varied as shown in the figure below.

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CENG 453‐ Design of Steel and Timber Structures            Chapter 7‐ Plate Girders 

7.2 Girder Stresses

The stresses from moment and shear for a plate and box girder in the elastic state are shown below. The
flanges have uniform direct stresses and the web shear and varying direct stress. Plate and box girders
are composed of flat plate elements supported on one or both edges and loaded in plane by bending and
shear. The way in which the girder acts is determined by the behavior of the individual plates.

7.3 Cross Section Choice of Plate Girders

7.3.1 Depth and breadth of flange
The depth of a plate girder may be fixed by headroom requirements but it can often be selected by
the designer. The depth is usually made from one- twelfth to one- twentieth of the span. The breadth
of flange plate is made about 0.3 to 0.5 of the depth of girder (in most cases 0.4 is used).

The deeper the girder is made, the smaller are the flange plates required. However, the web plate
must then be made thicker or additional stiffeners provided to meet particular design requirements.
A shallow girder can be very much heavier than a deeper girder in carrying the same loads.

The ratio of the breadth of the flange to its thickness is with in the semi compact section (class 3) to
avoid local buckling of the compression flange.

7.3.2 Web Design

7.3.2.1 Web thickness
The choice of the thickness of the web is related to the stiffening. The minimum web thickness
varies from 10mm for girders up to 1200mm deep to 20mm for girders up to 1500mm deep. If the
web plate slenderness d/tw>69ε, the local buckling capacity can be increased by the provision of
web stiffeners.

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CENG 453‐ Design of Steel and Timber Structures            Chapter 7‐ Plate Girders 

(i) Serviceability to prevent damage in handling:

d
If a > d, t ≥ and
250
0. 5
d ⎛a⎞
If a ≤ d, t ≥ ⎜ ⎟
250 ⎝ d ⎠

(ii) To avoid the flange buckling into the web. This type of failure has been observed in girders
with thin webs:
0.5
d ⎛ fy ⎞
If a > 1.5d, t ≥ ⎜ ⎟ and
250 ⎜⎝ 345 ⎟⎠
0 .5
d ⎛ fy ⎞
If a ≤ 1.5d, t ≥ ⎜ ⎟
250 ⎜⎝ 455 ⎟⎠

where a is the stiffener spacing

d is the depth of web,
t is the thickness of web and
fy is the design strength of compression flange.

7.3.2.2 Moment capacity

If the depth/thickness ratio d/t for the web is less than or equal to 69ε (for unstiffened webs) and
30ε k r (for stiffed webs), the web is not susceptible to shear buckling and the moment capacity
is determined in the same way as for restrained beams given in chapter 4.

7.3.2.3 Resistance of shear buckling

For webs without intermediate stiffeners, shear buckling resistance may be verified using either
simple post – critical method or Tension Field Method.

7.3.2.3.1 Simple Post – Critical Method

The design shear buckling resistance Vba,Rd is given by the following equation.
Vba,Rd= =dtw τ ba /γm1 > Vsd
where τ ba is the simple post – critical shear strength

(Refer resistance of beams to shear buckling, chapter 4)

7.3.2.3.2 Tension Field Method

Reading Assignment (section 4.6.4.3 of EBCS 3, 1995)

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CENG 453‐ Design of Steel and Timber Structures            Chapter 7‐ Plate Girders 

7.3.3 Flange Design

High shear—flange only method: If the applied shear is greater than 50 per cent Vpl,Rd, the web is
designed for shear only and the flanges are not Class 4 slender, then the moment capacity may be
obtained by assuming that the moment is resisted by the flanges alone with each flange subject to a
uniform stress not exceeding fyf .

7.3.3.1 Flange thickness

Local buckling of the compression flange may occur if C/tf>14ε. (see section 7.3.1)

7.3.3.2 Moment Capacity:

Plastic modulus will be determined based on compression flange. The moment capacity for a
girder with laterally restrained compression flange is:
Mf,Rd=Afdofy/γm1 > Msd where: do=h-tf
If Vsd > 0. 5Vba,Rd then Msd < Mf,Rd+(Mpl,Rd - Mf,Rd)[1-ρ]
2
⎡ 2V ⎤
where- ρ = ⎢ sd − 1⎥
⎢⎣Vba , Rd ⎥⎦
For cases where the compression flange is not restrained, lateral torsional buckling may occur.
This is treated in the same way that was set out for beams in chapter 4..

7.3.4 Design of Stiffeners

Two main types of stiffeners used in plate girders are:
(1) Intermediate transverse web stiffeners: These divide the web into panels and prevent the web
from buckling due to shear. They also have to resist direct forces from tension field action and
possibly external loads acting as well.

(2) Load carrying and bearing stiffeners: These are required at all points where substantial external
loads are applied through the flange and at supports to prevent local buckling and crushing of the
web. The stiffeners at the supports are also termed ‘end posts’.

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CENG 453‐ Design of Steel and Timber Structures            Chapter 7‐ Plate Girders 

7.3.4.1 Intermediate stiffeners

Intermediate transverse stiffeners may be placed on either one or both sides of the web.

7.3.4.1.1 Spacing (a)

This depends on: (i) Minimum web thickness
(ii) Web shear buckling resistance required. The closer the spacing is, the
greater the shear buckling resistance

7.3.4.1.2 Outstand (bs)

The outstand should be between 13tsε and 19tsε,
where ts is the thickness of stiffener and
ε = (235/fy)0.5

7.3.4.1.3 Stiffeners thickness, ts

Transverse stiffeners not subjected to any external loads or moments should have a second
moment of inertia Is about the centerline of the web not less than Is given by:
If a/d ≥ √2, Is = 0.75dt 3 and
If a/d < √2, Is = 1.5(d/a)2dt3

where a is the actual stiffener spacing,

d the depth of web and
t the minimum required web thickness for actual stiffener spacing a.
3
Therefore the moment of inertia of the stiffeners becomes: I s = (t s bs ) / 12

7.3.4.1.4 Buckling Resistance

This check is only required for intermediate stiffeners in webs when tension field action is
utilized. The intermediate stiffener should be checked for buckling for a compression force
of Ns. The compression force in an intermediate stiffener, Ns, is obtained from:
N s = Vsd − dt wτ bb / γ m1 ≥ 0

where Vcr = dt wτ bb / γ m1 is the critical shear buckling resistance of web

Effective X-section
The effective cross section of a stiffener should be taken as a width of web plate equal to
30εtw arranged with15εtw in each side of the stiffener
The out- of- plane Buckling Resistance of compression members will be determined by using
buckling curve C and buckling length not less than 0.75d.

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CENG 453‐ Design of Steel and Timber Structures            Chapter 7‐ Plate Girders 

7.3.4.1.5 Connection between web and stiffeners

The connection between each plate and the web is to be designed for a shear of not less than:
t2/5bs (kN/mm) In most cases t2/8bs is used.
where t is the web thickness (mm) and bs the outstand of the stiffener (mm).

7.3.4.2 Load Carrying and Bearing stiffeners,

Load carrying and bearing stiffeners are required to prevent local buckling and crushing of the
web due to concentrated loads applied through the flange when the web itself cannot support the
load. The stiffeners are fully effective in resisting the load.
7.3.4.2.1 Outstand
This is the same as set out for intermediate stiffeners
7.3.4.2.2 Buckling Resistance
The stiffener is designed as a ‘cruciform’ strut of cross-sectional area As at the centre of the
girder where As is the area of stiffener plus 15 times the web thickness (t) on either side of
the centre line of the stiffener (As = 2bsts + 30εt2). Thus Npl,Rd ≥ P.

If tension field is utilized in the web, the combined external transversal shear force, Fx should
not exceed the buckling resistance Npl,Rd of the stiffener. (Fx=P+V-Vcr)
Where: P is the applied concentrated load adjacent to the stiffener
V is the maximum shear in the web
Vcr is the critical shear buckling resistance of web

Steps to determine Npl,Rd

3
→ Compute IX = (t s bs ) / 12 , As, rx = (IX /As)0.5 and Le=0.75d
→ compute λ = Le/r
→ Obtain reduction factor for buckling χ using buckling curve C
→ Calculate Buckling Resistance, Npl,Rd = χ Asfy/γm1

7.3.4.2.3 Bearing Resistance

The bearing capacity of the stiffeners Ps is given by the following equation and the stiffener
is designed for this force.
Ps=Asfy /γm1 and Ps > P

7.3.4.2.4 Connection to web

Papp t2
+ ≤ weldvalue
Lwd 8bs

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CENG 453‐ Design of Steel and Timber Structures            Chapter 7‐ Plate Girders 

7.3.4.3 End-post design

End anchorage should be provided to carry the longitudinal anchor force representing the
longitudinal component of the tension field at the end panel of the web with intermediate
transverse stiffeners. The end post of a plate girder is provided for this purpose, and may consist
of a single or twin stiffeners, as shown in the figure below.

If no anchorage force is developed, the end-post is also designed as a load carrying and bearing
stiffener

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CENG 453‐ Design of Steel and Timber Structures            Chapter 7‐ Plate Girders 

7.1.1.1.1 Outstand
This is the same as set out for intermediate stiffeners

7.1.1.1.2 Bearing Resistance

The bearing resistance of the end post is given by: Ps= As,net fy/γm1 > Rsup
where Rsup Reaction force at at the support and As,net=bt

7.1.1.1.3 Buckling Resistance

This is the same as set out for load carrying stiffeners

7.1.1.1.4 Connection to web

The welds between the stiffener and web must be designed to carry the reaction and the shear
from the end-post beam action.
Rsup
≤ weldvalue Lwd is the length of weld (=2d)
Lwd

7.3.5 Flange to web welds

Fillet welds are used for the flange to web welds. The welds are designed for the horizontal shear
per weld:= FAy/2Ix

where F is the applied shear,

A the area of flange,
y the distance of the centroid of A from the centroid of the girder and
Ix the moment of inertia of the girder about the x–x axis.

The fillet weld can be intermittent or continuous, but continuous welds made by automatic
welding are generally used.

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