Design of Beams

Beam Behavior
 All members subjected to bending should be
checked for the following at critical section:
a) The section capacity at the point of maximum
moment and the combination of bending and shear
force
b) Lateral torsional buckling of the compression flange
c) Local failure of the web due to bucking and bearing
d) excessive deflection
Moment Capacity, Mc
The most basic design requirement for beam is the
provision of adequate in-plane bending strength. This is
provided by ensuring that Mc for the selected section
exceeds the maximum moment produced by the factored
loading. Determination of Mc depends on the section
classification.
In presence of low shear (applied shear ≤ 0.6 Pv ), Mc is
given by :
Mc = Py Sx for class 1 plastic and class 2 compact section
Mc = Py Seff or Py Z (conservatively) for class 3 semi-
compact section
Mc should be limited to 1.5 Py Z generally and 1.2 Py Z for
simply supported beams
Shear in Beams
For a rolled member subjected to shear only, the shear
force is assumed to be resisted by the web area A v shown
in figure, where
Av = web thickness × overall depth = tD
For the T section
Av = 0.9 A0
Where A0 is the area of the rectilinear element which has
the largest dimension in the direction parallel to the
shear force and equal to td
The shear capacity is given in the code as:
pv = 0.6 py Av
 If the ratio d/t exceeds 70 for rolled section or
62 for a welded section, the web should be
checked for shear buckling.
For beams subjected to combined bending
moment and shear force;
When the average shear force Fv , is less than 0.6
of the shear capacity Pv , no reduction in moment
capacity is required.
 when Fv is greater than 0.6 Pv the reduced moment
capacity (clause 4.2.5.3)
For class 1 or class 2 cross-section is given by:
Mc = Py (S -  Sv )

where Sv = tD2/4 for a rolled section with equal

flanges

= [ 2( Fv /Pv ) -1 ]2
For Class 3 cross-section (semi compact) is given by:
Mc = Py ( Z -  Sv/1.5)
Lateral – torsional buckling
If an I section is subjected to vertical loading that can
move laterally with beam, the imperfection of the beam
mean it will tend to distort as indicated in figures.
 Due to the bending action, the upper flange is in
compression and act like strut, being free to move, the
compression flange will tend to buckle sideway
dragging the reluctant tension flange behind it. The
tension flange resist this sideway movement and
therefore, as the beam buckle, the section also twist,
with the web no longer vertical. This action is known
as Lateral-torsional buckling.
- Fully restrained beam
Lateral- torsional buckling inhibited by the provision
of lateral restraint to the compression flange. If flange is
restrained at intervals, lateral torsional buckling may
occur between the restraints and this must be checked.
If this restraints is continuous, the beam is fully
restrained and lateral-torsional buckling is not occur.
 Full (continuous) lateral restraint is provided by:
i) In-situ and precast flooring or composite decking,
provided that the flooring is supported directly on the
top flange or is cast in it.
ii) Timber flooring, if the joists are fixed by cleat, bolts
or method providing a positive connection.
iii) Steel plate flooring, if it is bolted or welded at
closely spaced intervals.
The continuous restraint should be designed to
resist a force that is specified in the standard as 2.5%
of the maximum force in the compression flange.
Beams without Lateral restraint
When lateral-torsional bucking is possible, either over
the full span of the beam or between the intermediate
restraints, the resistance of the beam to bending action
will be reduced by its tendency to buckle. The load at
which the beam buckles can be much less than that
causing the full moment capacity to develop.
Calculate of bending resistance for beam without
full restraint

1- Determine the bending moment diagram for the beam

under factored loading and identify the maximum design
moment Mx and maximum shear force.
2- Determine LE (effective length) from Tables 13 of the
code
3- Look up ry from section tables and evaluate  as LE / ry
4- Evaluate LT as uv  ( w )0.5
5- Determine Pb from Table 16 or17 of the Code
6- Compute the buckling resistance moment M b as
Mb = Pb Sx for class 1 plastic or class 2 compact
section
Mb = Pb Sxeff or Pb Z for class 3 semi compact section

7- Ensure that Mx Mb /MLT (MLT may be derived from
Table 18 of the code or may conservatively be taken as
1.0) 
8- Check that Mx Mcx
 For equal flange beam the slenderness factor v may
safely and conservatively be taken as 1.0 or may be
determined from Table 19 of the code. It require to use
the torsional index , x , which may be found from section
tables.
The buckling parameter u may be found from section
tables. For rolled I and H section may be safely be taken  w
as 0.9. The ratio is defined in the standard as 1.0 if the
section being used as class 1 plastic or class 2 compact, if
the section class 3 semi compact,  w is the ratio Z x / Sx or
Sxeff /Sx if Sxeff is used rather than Zx , conservatively ,  w
may always be taken as 1.0.
 The effective length LE for a beam is defined as the
length between points of effective restraints multiplied by a
factor to take account of the end conditions and loading.
 The destabilizing load (where the load is applied to
the top flange and can move with it) is taken account of
increasing the effective length of member under
consideration
 Web bearing capacity & web buckling
resistance
At locations where concentrated loads are applied to the
flanges of beam and at the end connection to the columns or
other beams, check must be carried out for web local failure.
Two potential failure modes, indicated in figure are
possible. Separate design checks are needed for web bearing
and web buckling.
 Bearing resistance of beam webs
The local capacity for web bearing is given by:
Pbw = (b1 + nk) t Pyw
where
b1 is the stiff bearing length, it is defined as the length
which can not deform appreciably in bending
n = 5 for intermediate bearing
= 2+(0.6 be /k) 5 for end bearing
be is the distance to the end of the member from the
nearest edge of the stiff bearing
t is the web thickness
pyw is the design strength of the web
 k=T+r
T is the flange thickness
r is the root radius.
If the value of the local compressive force exceeds P yw ,
then web bearing stiffeners are required to carry the
excess.
Buckling resistance of beam webs
The web buckles at the center if the flanges are restraint,
otherwise, sideway movement or rotation of one flange
relative to the other occur.
Check of buckling for unstiffened web should be apply
against both:
a) Rotation relative to the web
b) Lateral movement relative to the other flange
 If the flange through which the load or reaction is
applied effectively restrained against both:
a) rotation relative to web
b) lateral movement relative to the other flange
then, provide that the distance  e from the load or
reaction to the nearest end of the member is at least
0.7d, the buckling resistance of the unstiffened web
should be taken as:
25t
Px  Pbw  e  0.7 d
b1  nk d
 e  0.7 d 25t
Px   Pbw  e  0.7 d
1.4d b1  nk d
 where (a) or (b) is not met, the buckling resistance of
the web should be reduced to Prx given that
0 .7 d
Prx  Px
LE

Where
d = depth of the web
Pbw = the bearing capacity of the unstiffened web
LE = the effective length of the web acting as
compression member
If the load exceeds the buckling resistance of the
web, stiffeners should be provided.
Beam – end shear connection
Two types of shear connections, beam to column and
beam to beam, are shown in figures:
 Design recommendations for the end plates are:
1) Length – Maximum = clear depth of web
Minimum = 0.6 of the beam depth
2) Thickness - 8 mm for beams up to 457 × 191 serial size,
- 10 mm for larger beams
3) Positioning - the upper edge should be near the
compression flange.
The end rotation is taken as 0.03 radian, which represents
the maximum slope likely to occur at end of the beam. The joint
is subjected to shear only, The steps in design are:
1) Design the bolts for shear and bearing
2) Check the end plate in shear and bending
3) Check for block shear
4) Design the weld between the end plate and the beam web.
Deflection of Beams
Although a structure may have adequate strength,
deflection at specified serviceability design loading may still
unacceptable.
Deflection limits of certain types of beams, and deflection for
some common load cases for simply supported beams are
shown in the following tables.