INTRODUCTION TO INELASTIC BUCKLING, ZONE 2

• If intermittent lateral bracing is supplied for the compression flange of a beam section, or if intermittent
torsional bracing is supplied to prevent twisting of the cross section at the bracing points such that the
member can be bent until the yield strain is reached in some (but not all) of its compression elements
before lateral buckling occurs, we have inelastic buckling.

• Because of the presence of residual stresses, yielding will begin in a section at applied stresses equal to
Fy − Fr where Fy is the yield stress of the web and Fr equals the compressive residual stress. The AISC
Specification estimates this value ( Fy − Fr ) to be equal to about 0,7Fy .

• When a constant moment occurs along the unbraced length Lb , of a compact I- or C-shaped section and Lb
is larger than Lp , the beam will fail inelastically, unless Lb is greater than a distance Lr (to be discussed)
beyond which the beam will fail elastically before Fy is reached (thus falling into Zone 3).

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Bending Coefficients
• In the formulas presented in the next few sections for inelastic and elastic buckling, we will use a term Cb ,
called the lateral-torsional buckling modification factor for nonuniform moment diagrams.
• As an illustration, we can see that the moment in the unbraced beam of part (a) of Figure-12 causes a worse
compression flange situation than does the moment in the unbraced beam of part (b). For one reason, the
upper flange of the beam in part (a) is in compression for its entire length, while in (b) the length of the
“column”— that is, the length of the upper flange that is in compression—is much less (thus, in effect, a
much shorter “column”).

Figure-12 2
• For the simply supported beam of part (a) of the figure, we will find (in the next example) that Cb is 1.14,
while for the beam of part (b) it is 2.38.

• To handle this situation, the AISC Specification provides moment or Cb coefficients larger than 1.0 that are to
be multiplied by the computed Mn values. The results are higher moment capacities

• The designer who conservatively says,

“I’ll always use Cb = 1,0 is missing out on
the possibility of significant savings in
steel weight for some situations.

• When using Cb values, the designer should

clearly understand that the moment
capacity obtained by multiplying Mn by Cb
may not be larger than the plastic Mn of
Zone 1, which is Mp and is equal to FyZ.
This situation is illustrated in Figure-13.

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Figure-13
• The value of Cb for singly symmetric members in single curvature and all doubly symmetric members is
determined from the expression to follow, in which Mmax is the largest moment in an unbraced segment of
a beam, while MA, MB, and MC are, respectively, the moments at the 1/4 point, 1/2 point, and 3/4 point in
the segment:

• In singly symmetric members subject to reverse curvature bending, the lateral torsional buckling
strength shall be checked for both top and bottom flanges.
• Cb is equal to 1.0 for cantilevers or overhangs where the free end is unbraced. . Some typical values of Cb ,
calculated with the previous AISC Equation F1-1, are shown in Figure-14 for various beam and moment
situations.

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Figure-14: Sample values for doubly symmetric members. (The X marks represent points of lateral bracing of the compression flange.)

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Example:
Fig-12

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COMPACT AND NONCOMPACT SECTIONS

• A compact section is a section that has a sufficiently stocky profile so that it is capable of developing a
fully plastic stress distribution before buckling locally (web or flange). For a section to be compact, the
web-thickness ratios of the sections must not exceed p .

• A non-compact section is one for which the yield stress can be reached in some, but not all, of its
compression elements before buckling occurs. It is not capable of reaching a fully plastic stress
distribution. The non-compact sections are those that have web–thickness ratios greater than p ,but not
greater than r .

• The p and r values are provided in Table-5.1B in Turkish Steel Structures Code (ÇYHY).

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COMPACT DOUBLY SYMMETRIC I-SHAPED SECTIONS AND COMPACT
CHANNELS SUBJECTED TO BENDING WITH RESPECT TO STRONG AXIS:
• Nominal bending moment strength, Mn, should be equal to minimum of the limit states explained below.

Limit State of Yielding

Mn = Mp = FyWpx (Eq.-9.2, (ÇYHY)

Limit State of Lateral Torsional Buckling

• If the value of Lb is less than Lp ,( Lb< Lp ), then there is no need to consider the limit state of lateral torsional buckling
(Section-9.2.2a, ÇYHY).
• If the value of Lb is in the range of Lp< Lb < Lr then the nominal moment strength Mn shall be calculated with the
equation to follow (ÇYHY-9.2.2b):

(Eq.-9.3, ÇYHY)

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• If the value of Lb is larger than Lr ,( Lr< Lb ), then the nominal
moment strength Mn shall be calculated with the Equation-9.4
(ÇYHY-9.2.2b):

(Eq.-9.4, ÇYHY)

The critical stress Fcr in Equation-9.4 should be

determined by the equation shown below,

The expression inside the root can

be taken as one.

• Values of the Lp and Lr are given by the Eqs-9.6a and 9.6b in section-9.2.2 (ÇYHY),

(Eq.-9.6b, ÇYHY)
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 2 2
𝐸 𝐽𝑐 𝐽𝑐 0,7𝐹𝑦 (Eq.-9.6b, (ÇYHY)
𝐿𝑟 = 1,95𝑖𝑡𝑠 + 6,76
0,7𝐹𝑦 𝑊𝑒𝑥 ℎ0 𝑊𝑒𝑥 ℎ0 𝐸

Value of c for I-shaped section having two symmetrical axis is c = 1,0.

Value of c for channels,

ℎ0 𝐼𝑦
𝑐=
2 𝐶𝑤

Effective radius of gyration, its ,

2
𝐼𝑦 𝐶𝑤
𝑖𝑡𝑠 =
𝑊𝑒𝑥

For I-shaped sections the value of radius of gyration can also be calculated by the
following equation,
𝑏𝑓
𝑖𝑡𝑠 =
1 ℎ𝑡
12 1 + 6 𝑤
𝑏𝑓 𝑡𝑓 10
Example:
The simple supported beam having cross section type of HE450A shown below is subjected to the dead and live loads of
wG = 200 kN/m and wQ = 350 kN/m, respectively. The loads act in the plane of symmetry perpendicular to the strong
axis of the section. Flange of the beam is only supported laterally at both ends of the beam.
a) Determine the nominal bending moment strength, Mn .
b) Check the design bending moment capacity (LRFD)
c) Check the allowable moment capacity (ASD)

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Solution:
Example will be solved in class!!

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13
Example:
The simple supported beam having cross section type of HE450A shown below is subjected to the dead and live loads of
wG = 20 kN/m and wQ = 60 kN/m, respectively. The loads act in the plane of symmetry perpendicular to the strong axis
of the section. Flange of the beam is supported laterally at both ends and the middle span of the beam.
a) Determine the nominal bending moment strength, Mn .
b) Check the design bending moment capacity (LRFD)
c) Check the allowable moment capacity (ASD)

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Solution:

a) Determining of the nominal bending moment strength, Mn : • Nominal bending moment strength due to the limit state
of lateral torsional buckling (Section-9.2.2, ÇYHY),
• Classifying the cross section for the limit state of the local
buckling Lb = 4000 mm

For the flange (Table-5.1B, Case-10),

For the web (Table-5.1B, Case-15),

Cross section is compact.

• Nominal bending moment strength due to the limit state of

yielding (Eq-9.2, ÇYHY),

1
5
• Lateral-torsional buckling modification factor, Cb

Then, the nominal bending moment strength is

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 LRFD ASD
Required bending moment strength

b) Check the design bending moment c) Check the allowable bending moment
capacity capacity

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I-SHAPED SECTIONS AND CHANNELS SUBJECTED TO BENDING WITH RESPECT
TO WEAK AXIS
Nominal bending moment strength of the I-shaped sections and the channels shall be taken as the
smallest one of the values obtained by the limit state of yielding and the limit state of local buckling.

Limit State of Yielding

• The nominal bending moment strength due to limit state of yielding

shall be determined by the equation shown below,

(Eq-9.39, ÇYHY)

Limit State of Local Buckling

• If the flanges of the section are compact due to the Table-5.1B, then this
limit state shall not be considered.
• If the flanges of the section are noncompact due to the Table-5.1B, then the
nominal bending moment strength , Mn , shall be determined as described in
Section-9.6.2 in ÇYHY.

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Example:
The simple supported beam having cross section type of HE450A shown below is subjected to the dead and live loads of
wG = 200 kN/m and wQ = 350 kN/m, respectively. The loads act in the plane of symmetry perpendicular to the weak axis
of the section. Beam cross section is only supported laterally at both ends of the beam.
a) Determine the nominal bending moment strength, Mn .
b) Check the design bending moment capacity (LRFD)
c) Check the allowable moment capacity (ASD)

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Solution:
Example will be solved in class!!

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21
BOX SECTIONS

The nominal bending moment strength , Mn , of the box sections shall be equal to the smallest one of the values
obtained due to the limit states shown below.
Limit State of Yielding
• The nominal bending moment strength due to limit state of yielding
shall be determined by the equation shown below,

(Eq-9.43, ÇYHY)

Limit State of Local Buckling of the Flanges

• If the flanges of the section are compact due to the Table-5.1B, then this limit state shall not be considered.
• If the flanges of the section are noncompact due to the Table-5.1B, then he nominal bending
moment strength , Mn , shall be determined as described in Section-9.7.2 in ÇYHY.

Limit State of Local Buckling of the Web Elements

• If the web elements of the section are compact due to the Table-5.1B, then this limit state shall not be considered.

• If the web elements of the section are noncompact due to the Table-5.1B, then he nominal
bending moment strength , Mn , shall be determined as described in Section-9.7.3 in ÇYHY. 22
Example:
The simple supported box 200x200x8 beam shown below is subjected to the dead and live loads of wG = 20 kN/m and
wQ = 55 kN/m, respectively. Beam cross section is supported laterally at both ends of the beam.
a) Determine the nominal bending moment strength, Mn .
b) Check the design bending moment capacity (LRFD)
c) Check the allowable moment capacity (ASD)

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Solution:
Example will be solved in class!!

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