CE-421: Design of Steel Structures

Design of Tension Members

 CE-421: Design of Steel Structures
Main Topics in This Course

➢ Introduction
➢ Analysis & Design of Tension Members
➢ Analysis & Design of Pure Compression Members
➢ Analysis & Design of Flexural Members (Beams)
➢ Analysis & Design of Deep Flexural Members (Plate Girders)
➢ Analysis & Design of Beam Column (Axial + Flexure)
➢ Analysis & Design of Bolted and Welded Connections
 Little Bit About This Course
• This Course in An Explicit Design Course.
• It Assumes that You are Fully Aware of Structural
Analysis as well as the Failure Theories of
Metals.
• Each Topic is Related to Design of a Particular
Structural Element; Beam, Column or Truss Elm.
• The Design is Furnished by Using AISC
(American Institute of Steel Construction) Code.
• This Code is Based Upon LRFD Approach (Load
Resistance Factored Design Approach).
 About This Course
• Main Intention in This Course is towards
Predicting Safe Design Strength of Different
Structural Elements using the Equations of AISC.
• Other Main Aspect is to How to Select an Adequate
Cross-section of a Particular Structural Element
based upon its Internal Forces Produced by the
Applied Loads.
• So Each Chapter of This Course is Specifically
about the Main Equations of AISC Code Pertaining
to Design of that Particular Structural Element,
Like Beam or Column or Truss Elements etc.
 About The Course
Each Topic Deals with the Use of Capacity
Predicting Equations of The Topic

For e.g. in the Topic of Tension Members,

Use of AISC Equation Predicting Capacity
of a Tension Member is Explained & Used

On Which Thing Capacity of Any

Structural Member Depends ???
 About The Course
Capacity of Any Structural Member
Primarily Depends Upon it Material
Strength ….. But …

Capacity of Any Structural Member is

Different Under Different Failure Modes of
that Structural Member
For e.g. Capacity of a Column Depends Upon
whether Column Fails in Buckling or
Crushing in Compression
 Tension Members
Understanding the Behaviour and Failure
Modes of Real Tension Members.

What are the Characteristics of a Tension

Member ?
 Tension Members
➢ Tensile Behaviour & Properties (Strength) of Steel
Obtained from a Tension Test of a Plain Rod / Bar
➢ Mostly Yield Strength is Used in Design But Fracture
Knowledge is Equally Important !
Fu

Fy
 Tension Members
• Tension Members carry Uniform Tensile Stresses
caused by Axial Tensile Force in them.
• Axial Force is the Force that passes through
Centroid of Cross-section, so, No Stress Variation in
the X-section.
• Uniform Stress All Over
 Tension Members
➢Studying the Mechanics of Tension Member

➢Relation between Tensile Force, X-Sectional

Area and the Normal Uniform Stress is:

σ =P/A OR P=σ.A
 Tension Members
Ideal Failure of a Tension Members.

Yielding ! Necking !

After Yielding Failure !!

This is Ideal Failure, But In Real Tension Members there
are More Things to See that may Cause Failure Even
Before that Predicted Above by the Yielding Failure !
 Tension Members
Sometimes Fracture Occurs Without
Indication of Necking.

Force Applied !!

Sudden Fracture !!

Although Steel, by Virtue of its Material Nature, is

Ductile, BUT, Due to Complex Stress Concentration
Situations within the Steel Member’s Sometimes Yielding
Indications are Not Visible ... Appears to be Brittle
 Tension Members
• Differences in Yielding & Fracture Failures

Yielding Failure Fracture Failure

Difference in the Two Failure Modes is the

Deformations Before Failure !
 Tension Members
➢ In Reality
• Tension Members are Pin-connected at their Ends
Through Bolts Or Welds

• But Will their Cross-section Shape or Area

Remains Same Throughout … At All Locations ?

• Specially at the joints?

• Review the Practical Joints …..

 Tension Members
Tension Members Connected To Joints

➢ Does the Cross-section of Any Member Remains Constant

Throughout the Length ? Although the Force is !
➢ Will the Stress in Any Member is Constant Throughout the
Length ?, Where It Will be Maximum ? σ = P / A
 Tension Members
• Due to Practical Constraints of Member Sizes, The
Members are Connected to the Joints using Connectors &
Gusset Plates.

• Force in Any Tension Member Remains Constant

Throughout the Member Length But the Cross-section
Reduces at the Connection … Means Stresses are High there
 Tension Members
➢Practically There are Possibly TWO Failure
Modes of a Tension Member:
▪ Yielding: Failure Starts when Stress reaches Fy
But Proceeds with Large Deformations
▪ Fracture: Failure Occurs Suddenly when Stress
reaches Fu
➢Yielding is Mostly Accompanied by Large
Increase in Strains with Minimal Increase in
Stress While Fracture is Sudden Breakup of
Member with Minimal Strain Indications
 Tension Members
➢Differences in the Two Failure Modes of a
Tension Member

▪ Yielding: Failure Occurs with Large

Elongation / Deformations
▪ Fracture: Failure Occurs with Negligible
Elongation / Deformations
Therefore, Yielding is Actually a Ductile
Failure Mode While Fracture is Actually a
Brittle Failure Mode
 Tension Members
Different Failure Modes of a Tension
Member !

Most Probably ……. Yielding ….. and

Rupture (Fracture) ….

Think About Where Yielding Can Occur

with Possibility of Deformations and Where
Yielding Occurs But Suddenly Fracture
Also Occurs
 Tension Members
How can we know which Type of the Two Failures
Occurs WHERE & WHEN & WHY?

Observe the Real Failures of Tension Members

Where Yielding Where Fracture

Can Occur and Can Occur ?
Propagates ?
 Tension Members
Fracture Failure Occurs usually in the Regions
where Some Portion of Cross-section is Removed or
Cut resulting in Reduction of the X-sectional Area
as well as Increase in The Internal Stress this
phenomena is called Stress Concentration Effect
Increase in Stress
Surrounding the Holes is
Not Linear Proportion to
the Reduced Area !
Mechanics Shows that the
Stresses Increased at Least 3
Times Surrounding Holes!
 Tension Members
• The Two Failure Modes
❑ Yielding
Failure usually Occurs
Where Large Deformations
are Possible

❑ Fracture
Failure usually Occurs
Where Stress are Very High
& Reach Fu Quickly
 Tension Members
• The Fracture Failure Mode

See The Cross-sectional Area At

Failure Location ?

So Area is Reduced @
Holes Location, Resulting
High Stresses. But Large Which is Right ?
Deformations Not Possible Is this? Is This ?
 Tension Members
So, Two Failure Modes are Possible in One Tension
Member … But at Different Locations …

Guess The Locations of the Two Failure Modes

Fracture
Yielding
 Tension Members
How can anybody know which Failure Mode Occurs
First in Real Tension Members ?

Whichever Requires Lesser Force to Cause it

Fracture
Yielding
 Tension Members
Yielding Failure Occurs usually in the Regions of a
Tension Member where Cross-section is Gross and
Greater and No Part of Cross-section is Cut.

Practically Yielding Failure is expected to Occurs Away

from the Ends of Members because at Ends the Cross-
section is Reduced due to Drilling Holes for Connection