Limit state design of steel structures

S.Arul Jayachandran
Asst Director & Head
Steel Structures Laboratory
Structural Engineering Research Centre
CSIR Campus, Chennai- 113
e-mail: arulsteel@yahoo.com
arul@sercm.org

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Probabilistic philosophy of design

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DESIGN METHODS FOR STEEL STRUCTURES
Philosophies in Design
Allowable Stress Design
Actual Stress Allowable Stress =Yield Stress/FoS
Deterministic
Assumes a constant level of safety

Limit States Design / Load & Resistance Factor Design

Strength x Partial Safety Factor > Nominal Load X
Partial Safety Factor for loads
Probabilistic
Assumes variable safety
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Safety is a
variable
quantity!

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 Basis of Reliability
Uncertainties in service life are due to:
Variability of the loads
Variability of strength
Variability of the load distribution through the
structure
Characteristic load:
Value of the load, which has an accepted probability of
not being exceeded (0.95) during the life span of the
structure
Characteristic resistance:
Value of resistance below which not more than a
prescribed percentage (5%) of test results may be
expected to fall
 BASIS OF RELIABILITY

Rm

Characteristic strength
Qm

Characteristic load
Load Q
Strength R
Frequency

Load & Strength

FAILURE!!
Which structure is important?

Hospital Shed
 Basis of Limit States Design

(R-Q)
(R-Q)
(R-Q) Rm Qm

f(R-Q)
R2 Q2

R-Q>0
R-Q
R-Q<0

Probability distribution of the safety margin R-Q

 SAFETY INDEX

Rm Qm

R2 Q2

2.32 3.09 3.72 4.27 4.75 5.2 5.61

Pf = (-) 10-2 10-3 10-4 10-5 10-6 10-7 10-8

 TABLE 5.1 PARTIAL SAFETY FACTORS FOR LOADS, f, FOR LIMIT STATES

Limit State of Strength Limit state of Serviceability

CCombination LL WL/ LL WL/
DL Accompanying AL DL Accompanying
Leading
(CL, SL etc.) EL Leading
(CL etc.) EL
DL+LL+CL 1.5 1.5 1.05 1.0 1.0 1.0

DL+LL+CL+ 1.2 1.2 1.05 0.6

1.0 0.8 0.8 0.8
WL/EL 1.2 1.2 0.53 1.2
1.5
DL+WL/EL (0.9) 1.5 1.0 1.0
*

1.2
DL+ER 1.2
(0.9)
DL+LL+AL 1.0 0.35 0.35 1.0
*
This value is to be considered when stability against overturning or stress reversal is
critical
Abbreviations: DL= Dead Load, LL= Imposed Load (Live Loads), WL= Wind Load,
SL= Snow Load, CL= Crane Load (Vertical/horizontal), AL=Accidental Load,
ER= Erection Load, EL= Earthquake Load.
Note: The effects of actions (loads) in terms of stresses or stress resultants may be
obtained from an appropriate method of analysis as in Section 4
 Variability in judgment

Clear target Not so clear target

Dead Load Live load
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 TABLE 5.2 PARTIAL SAFETY FACTOR FOR MATERIALS, m

Sl. No Definition Partial Safety Factor

1 Resistance, governed by yielding m0 1.10
2 Resistance of member to buckling m0 1.10
3 Resistance, governed by ultimate 1.25
stress m1
4 Resistance of connection m1 Shop Field
Fabrications Fabrications

(i)Bolts-Friction Type, mf 1.25 1.25

(ii) Bolts-Bearing Type, mb 1.25 1.25

(iii) Rivets 1.25 1.25

(iv) (iv) Welds 1.25 1.50

5.6.1 Deflection Table 5.3 gives recommended limits of deflections for certain
structural member systems.
 LIMIT STATE DESIGN

Limit States
Limit State of Collapse
Ultimate Strength
Buckling Strength
Fatigue Strength
Limit State of Serviceability
Deflection
Vibration
Corrosion
Repairable fatigue
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 LIMIT STATES DESIGN
Factored Design strength, (R) Factored load effects (Q)

R n
i Qi
m i 1

m = 1.1 Yield & buckling failure

= 1.25 Ultimate Rupture

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 Summary of Limit State Design

Limit State Design offers

Economy
Consistent Level of safety
Rational and open ended designs!

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Thank you

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