Chapter Eight: Structural

Steel Support Plates

Y.BOOPATHI/LECTU
 Introduction

Support plates are employed to

effectively and uniformly transmit
loads from support structures
usually in the form of reactions-to the
underlying support media. Common
occurrences of such plates are:
 base plates at column supports as
shown in Fig. 8.1a
bearing plates for supported beams-
usually at ends, bearing walls,
columns or other beams as in Fig.
8.1b
bearing plates at truss supports as
shown in Fig.8.1c.
 Column Base Plates
Column base plates, Fig.8.1a, are
steel plates, placed at the bottom
ends of columns lying right above
the foundation system in order to
effectively transmit the column loads
to the underlying pedestal that is
usually made from concrete.
 The design of a column base plate involves
two major parts:
Determining the size B1 x B2 of the plate,
and
Determining the thickness tp of the plate.
The size of the plate is determined based on
the limit state capacity of concrete in
bearing, and the thickness of the plate is
determined based on the limit state of plastic
bending of critical sections in the plate.
 Depending on the types of forces (axial force,
bending moment, shear force), the plate will
be subjected to, the design procedures differ
slightly
In all cases, however, a layer of grout should
be placed between the base plate and its
support, for the purpose of levelling, and
anchor bolts should be provided to stabilize
the column during erection or to prevent uplift
for cases involving large bending moment.
AISC-LRDF Design Specification
for Column Base Plates
Base Plates Subjected to Axial
Loads
Base plates that support concentrically
loaded columns in frames in which
the column bases are assumed
pinned are designed with the
assumption that the column factored
load Pu is distributed uniformly to the
area of the concrete under the base
plate.
 Size of plate
The size of the base plate is
determined from the limit state of
bearing of concrete. The design
bearing strength of concrete is given
A
by: P 0.60 0.85 f A
c u c p
c

Ap
WHERE
fc is compressive strength of concrete
Ap is area of base plate
Ac is area of concrete pedestal that
is geometrically similar to and
concentric with
the loaded are such that Ap Ac
4Ap.
 one can see that the bearing
capacity increases when the concrete
area is greater than the plate area.
The upper limit of the bearing
strength is obtained when Ac = 4Ap.
the concrete area in excess of 4Ap is
not effective in resisting the load
transferred through the base plate.
 Setting the column design load Pu
equal to the bearing capacity of
concrete pedestal, cPp, and solving
for Ap 1 Pu
2

Ap
Ac 0.60 x 0.85 f c
 The width B1 and length B2 of the
plate should be established so that
B1x B2 >Ap. For an efficient design,
the length can be determined from
B2 Ap 0.50 x 0.95d 0.80 b f
the equation.

Ap
B1
B2
 Plate thickness
The required plate thickness, tp,
is to be determined from the limit
state of yield line formation along the
most severely stressed sections.
. A yield line develops when the cross-
section moment capacity is equal to
its plastic moment capacity
Failure models for centrally-loaded
column base plates.
 The following equation can be used
to calculate the required plate
thickness: 2P
t p ,req max (b1 , b2 ) u
(8
0.90 f y B1 B 2

B1 0.80b f
b1
2
B2 0.95d
b2
2
 Base Plates for Tubular and Pipe
Columns
The same concept can also be
applied to the design of base plates
for rectangular tubes and circular
pipes.
Determine the plate thickness
should be based on 0.95 times the
outside column dimension for
rectangular rubes and 0.80 times the
 Base Plates Subjected to
Moments
For columns in frames designed to
carry moments at the base, base
plates must be designed to support
both axial forces and bending
moments.
To quantify the relative magnitude of
this moment, an eccentricity e =
Mu/Pu is used.
 Small Eccentricity
e
B 2
6
The maximum bearing stress is given
by: f max
Pu

Mu c
B1 x B2 I

Where c = B2/2 and I = B1 B23/12 is

the moment of inertia of the plate.
 Eccentrically loaded
column base plate- small e.
 the thickness of the plate tp will be
determined from:
4M plu
tp
0.90 f y
Mplu is the moment per unit width of
critical section in the plate.
 Moderate Eccentricity B2/6 <
e B2/2
For plates subjected to moderate
moments, only a portion of the plate
will be subjected to bearing stress .
the maximum bearing
f
max
2 P stress
u
B2 B1
 Eccentrically loaded
column base plate moderate-e.
 B 2 3 B2 / 2 e
Large Eccentricity e 2 B
2
T as the resultant tensile force in the
anchor bolts, force equilibrium
requires that
f max B1 x B 2
T Pu
2
 moment equilibrium requires that
B f x B 2 x B1 B2
Pu B2 2 M ma B2 (8.11)
2 2 3

Eccentrically loaded column base

plate large-e.
Base Plates Subjected to Shear
Forces
Shear lugs can be designed based on
the limit states on concrete does not
exceed 0.60 x (0.85fc).
 ANCHOR BOLTS
Anchor bolts are provided for two main
purposes to stabilize the column during
erection and to prevent uplift for cases
involving large moments. Anchor bolts
can be cast-in-place bolts or drilled in
bolts.
the three types of caste-in-place anchors
shown in the figure, the hooked bars are
recommended for use only in axially
loaded base plates.
 Bolts and threaded rods with nuts
can be used for both axially loaded
base plates and base plates with
moments.
Limit State of Tensile Fracture.

The area of the anchor should be such

that:
Tu
Ag
t 0.75 f u
Ag is the required gross area of the anchor,
fu is the minimum specified tensile
strength and t is the resistance factor for
tensile fracture, which is equal to 0.75.
Limit State of Cone Pullout

the required embedded length can

be calculated from the equation:

L

A Tu t 4 f u (8.13)

Cone pullout mode of failure
 A is the projected area of the failure
cone. Tu is the required bolt force in
pound, fe is the compressive strength
of concrete in psi; and t is the
resistance factor, assumed to be
equal to 0.75.
 Minimum recommended embedded
length and edge distance for anchors
Bolt type Min. embedded Min. edge
(material) length distance
A307 (A36) 12dia 5 dia > 4 in.
A325 (A449) 17 dia 7 dia > 4 in.

Dia = nominal diameter of the anchor bolt

Reduced projected area of failure
cones.
 BEAM BEARING PLATES
Beam bearing plates are provided between
the beam and the supporting media that
cab be concrete pedestals, to distribute
the reaction to the support. Accordingly,
they are provided between main girders
and concrete pedestals to distribute the
girder reactions to the concrete supports
(Fig. 8.9a) or between cross beams and
girders if the cross beams are designed to
sit on the girders as shown in Fig. 8.9b.
Beam bearing plate
 AISC LRDF Specification
The dimension B1 of the plate is
determined
Ap
B1 (8.14)
B2
2
1 Ru
Ap
Ac 0.6 x 0.85 f c

Pu is replaced by Ru, which is the

reaction at the support.
 Once the size B1 x B2 is determined, the plate
thickness tp can be calculated using
equation:
2
2 Ru B
tp
0.9 f y B1 B2

Ru is the factored girder reaction, f y is the

yield stress of the plate, and B = (B1 = 2k)/2,
in which k is the distance from toe of web
fillet to the outer surface of the flange.
PROBLEMS