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Course: Eurocode 3
Module 4: Member design
Beams bent about the major axis may fail by buckling in a more flexible plane
This form of buckling involves both lateral deflection and twisting - lateral-torsional buckling
The applied moment at which a beam buckles by deflecting laterally and twisting reached is the elastic
critical moment
A design approach for beams prone to failure by lateral-torsional buckling must account for a large
number of factors - including section shape, the degree of lateral restraint, type of loading, residual
stress pattern and initial imperfections
Stocky beams are unaffected by lateral torsional buckling and capacity is governed by the plastic
resistance moment of the cross section
Slender beams have capacities close to the theoretical elastic critical moment
Many practical beams are significantly adversely affected by inelasticity and geometrical
imperfections, hence elastic theory provides an upper band solution.
A design expression linking the plastic capacity of stocky beams with the elastic behaviour of slender
beams is provided by a reduction factor for lateral torsional buckling, LT.
Pre-requisites:
Bending theory
Buckling of structural elements
Restrained beam behaviour
SSEDTA
Objectives:
The student should:
be aware of the phenomenon of lateral torsional stability
be able to identify the controlling paprameters
understand the significance of the terms in the elastic torsional buckling equations
be able to apply the EC3 rules to the design of a simply supported laterally unrestrained beam
recognise practical applications where lateral torsional buckling is unlikely to present a problem
References:
Narayanan, R., editor, Beams and Beam Columns: Stability and Strength, Applied Science
Publishers, 1983
Chen, W. F. and Atsuta, T., Thoery of Beam Columns Volume 2, Space Behaviour and Design,
McGraw Hill, 1977
Timoshenko, S.P. and Gere, J.M., Theory of Elastic Stability, Second Edition, McGraw Hill, 1962
Trahair, N.S. and Bradford, M.A., The Behaviour and Design of Steel Structures, E&F Spon, 1994
Kirby, P.A. and Nethercot, D.A., Design for Structural Stability
Contents:
1.Introduction
2.Elastic buckling of a simply supported beam
3.Development of a design approach
4.Extension to other cases
4.1 Load pattern
4.2 Level of application of Load
4.3 End support conditions
4.4 Beams with intermediate lateral support
4.5 Continuous beams
5. Concluding summary
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1. Introduction
Whenever a slender structural element is loaded in its stiff plane there exist a tendency for it to
fail by buckling in a more flexible plane. In the case of beam bent about its major axis, failure
may occur by a form of buckling which involves both lateral deflection and twisting - lateraltorsional buckling. Figure 1 illustrates the phenomenon with a slender cantilever beam loaded
by a vertical end load.
Clam p at
root
Unloaded
posit ion
Buc k led
posit ion
Dead w eight
load applied
v ert ically
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M
L
Section
Elevation
Plan
z
x
u
Mcr =
2 EI z I w
2
L2GI t
+
2
I z EI z
0 ,5
(1)
F.1
where
It is the torsion constant ; Iw is the warping constant
Iz is the second moment of area about the minor axis; L is the unrestrained length of beam.
The presence of the flexural stiffness (EIz) and torsional stiffness (GIt and EIw) in the equation
is a direct consequence of the lateral and torsional components of the buckling deformations.
The relative importance of these items will be a reflection of the type of cross section
considered. Figure 3 illustrates this point by comparing the elastic critical moment of a box
section (which has high flexural and torisional stiffness) with open sections of various shapes.
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1 .0
0 .1
Rat io of M cr t o
M cr f or box
sect ion
0 .0 1
0 .0 0 1
0
10
20
40
30
50
60
70
Rat io of lengt h t o
- Section
H - Section
457x152 UB 60
254x254 UC 89
14
Mcr
Mp
12
10
Wpl (cm3 )
1284
1228
y(cm4 )
25464
14307
z(cm )
794
4849
J
8
(cm4
4
w(cm )
31,5
97,6
386700
716400
6
254x254 UC 89
L
457x152 UB 60
10
12
14
16
18
20
L (m)
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M
M pl
1 ,0
M
M
0 ,8
cr
pl
0 ,6
0 ,4
0 ,2
St ocky
In t e rm e d ia t e
S le n d e r
0
0 ,2
0 ,4
0 ,6
0 ,8
1 ,0
1 ,2
1 ,4
LT =
M pl
M cr
The design buckling resistance moment (Mb.Rd) of a laterally unrestrained beam is thus taken as:
Mb.Rd = LT w Wpl.y fy/m1
(2)
5.5.2 (1)
(5.48)
which is effectively the plastic resistance of the section multiplied by the reduction factor
( LT). Figure 7 shows the relationship between LT and the non-dimensional slenderness,
LT .
The curves shown are expressed by
LT =
LT + LT 2 LT
(3)
2 0,5
5.5.2. (2)
(5.49)
where
(4)
in which a LT is an imperfection factor, taken as 0,21 for rolled sections and 0,49 for welded
sections, with their more severe residual stresses.
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Reduction factor LT
1,0
1,0
Rolled sections
0,6
0,4
Welded beams
0,2
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
Slenderness LT
calculating the plastic resistance moment and elastic critical moment from first principles (see
Appendix F.1) or more conveniently by the relationship:
LT 0,5
w
1
LT =
(5)
5.5.2 (5)
where
E
1 =
fy
0,5
(6)
and Lt may be calculated using apppropriate expressions for a variety of section shapes (see
Appendix F.2.2.). For example, for any plain I or H section with equal flanges, and subject to
uniform moment with simple end restraints,
LT=
L / iz
2
L / iz
1
1 +
20 h / t f
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0 , 25
(7)
F.2.2
F.2.2 (5)
(F.21)
2 EI
EI z GI r 1 + 2 w
L
L GI t
(8)
but for a beam with a central point load the maximum moment at the centre on the point of
buckling is
Mcr=
2 EI
4.24
EI z GI r 1 + 2 w
L
L GI t
(9)
which is 4.24/ higher than the base case. EC3 uses this ratio expressed as a factor, C1, to
allow for the loading arrangement (shape of the bending moment diagram) for a variety of
loading cases, as shown in Figure 8. C1 appears as a simple multiplier in expressions for Mcr
(see EC3 eqn F.2) or as
Beam
and loads
M
EI GJ
Bending
moment
2
1+ EIw
2
L GJ
Mmax
C1
1,00
1,879
Table F.1.1
-M
M
F
2,752
Table F.1.2
FL
4
1,365
FL
8
1,132
F
F
Note: The above values correspond to a effective length factor k of 1,0
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1,4
F
a=d/2
1,2
1,0
F
a=0
0,8
0,6
a=d/2
0,4
1
10
100
L2GI t
EI w
1000
F.1.2 (F,2)
F.2.2 (8)
(F.27-F.31)
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F.1.2 (4)
F.1.2 (2)
10
5. Concluding summary
Beams bent about the major axis may fail by buckling in a more flexible plane - lateraltorsional buckling
Moment at which buckling occurs is the elastic critical moment
Design approach must account for a large number of factors section shape, the degree of lateral restraint, type of loading,
residual stress pattern and initial imperfections
Stocky beams are unaffected by lateral torsional buckling
Slender beams have capacities close to the theoretical elastic critical moment
Practical beams are significantly adversely affected by inelasticity and geometrical
imperfections - elastic theory is an upper band solution.
A design expression linking the plastic capacity of stocky beams with the elastic behaviour
of slender beams is provided by a reduction factor for lateral torsional buckling, LT
11/02/08
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