CASES

The Centre for Advanced Structural Engineering & Studies

Understanding Structural Steelwork Design Back to Basics

27 - 30 March, 2012 Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Ikeja, Lagos State

LECTURE 1:
Black

LOCAL BUCKLING & SECTION CLASSIFICATION

Engr. Samson Ivovi, B.Eng, MSc, FNIStruct.E

Tel: +234 803 7262 708. Email : delteceng@yahoo.com

LECTURE 1: LOCAL BUCKLING & SECTION CLASSIFICATION 1. Introduction

The capacity of a steel member under compression is greatly influenced by the stability of its cross section elements. Local buckling of cross section elements could lead to premature failure of the member. This lecture covers the treatment of local buckling in
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BS 5950 part 1:2000: Code of Practice for design of rolled and welded sections, with reference to sections carrying axial compression or bending. It also deals with section classification into compact, semi-compact, etc. Relevant clauses are 3.5 and 3.6. Section classification to BS EN 1993-1-1: 2005 is briefly examined at the end of the paper. 2. Elements

An element of a section can be either Internal or Outstand (Fig 1.). In beams, there is a further distinction between flange and web elements.

Outstand elements are attached to an adjacent element at one edge only, the other edge being free. Internal elements are attached to other elements at both longitudinal edges. These include - webs comprising internal elements perpendicular to the axis of bending - flanges comprising internal elements parallel to the axis of bending

3.0

Local buckling Local buckling performance of an element depends on its width-to-thickness ratio b/t. Fig.5 in the code shows how b is to be measured for different sections (actually referred to as b or d). For a tapered element, t is taken as the average thickness. Other factors which influence local buckling are material strength, geometric imperfection, materials imperfection, the type of stress system to which the elements are subjected, the support conditions provided and whether the section is produced by hot-rolling or welding. The greater severity of ripples and residual stress in welded plates tend to lower buckling resistance when compared to rolled sections. Section Performance 4.1 Beams

4.0

BS 5950 recognises four (4) classes of beam section, depending on their local buckling performance (see cl. 3.5.2).

= y

Class 1: Plastic section. Full plastic moment Mp can be developed, with enough rotation capacity to allow plastic hinge. Local buckling can be forgotten.

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 = y
Class 2: Compact Section - Full plastic moment can be reached, but with limited rotation capacity. Plastic design not permitted, unless hinges are restrained.

= y
Class 3: Semi-Compact Section: Member is able to attain My, but not Mp.

= y < y
Class 4: Slender-Section - Premature local buckling prevents attainment of My.

< y
4.2 Struts

For members loaded in axial compression classes 1, 2, 3 coalesce into one and we have (in the absence of overall buckling). Classes 1, 2, and 3 as Compact section: Section is able to develop full squash load, Agy. Class 4 Slender Section: Member fails to attain squash load due to premature local buckling.

4.3

Limiting Proportions.

Table 11 and Table 12 of the Code give limiting values of width-to-thickness ratios for various sections. In the Tables = (275/)1/2

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A web element, being only partly in compression, tends to be much more stable against local buckling than an equivalent element of the same b/t under uniform compression. 5.0 Section Classification

The role of section classification is to identify the extent to which the resistance and rotation capacity of a cross section is limited by its local buckling resistance. The actual procedure for classifying a section is as follows.
5.1

Axial compression:

In a strut all the elements must be assessed. The class of the all-up section is then taken as that of the most unfavourable element. 5.2 Bending

For a beam the elements are assessed as in rows 1-4 of Table 11, the least favourable dictating the classification of the section. Compression flange elements are treated as described in rows 1-4 Table 11 for compression members above and web elements according to rows 5 and 6. 6.0 6.1 Slender sections Basic Procedure

If one or more elements of a section are found to be slender, the procedure for taking account of local buckling, except for angles and tees, is as follows.

Determine a reduced yield stress, Py for every slender

element of the section.

Assume that the member, with all its area taken as effective, is composed of a material having a fictitious yield stress equal to the lowest value of Py thus obtained. 2 Py = 3 Py i.e. is the value of b/T, b/t, D/t or d/t that exceeds the limiting value 3 given in which in Table 11 or Table 12 for a class 3 Semi-compact section. This approach may yield rather conservative results if the class 3 semi-compact limit is exceeded by a wide margin. Recourse should be made to the effective area method given in clause 3.6 of the Code. Elements in Uniform Compression

6.2

For an element forming part of a strut or a compression flange of a beam, y is obtained from the following expression

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 X Py = b / t Y Py with X and Y evaluated as follows for different kinds of element: Non-welded Welded 7.0 Angles and Tees Internal X = 31, Y = 8 X = 21, Y = 7 Outstand X = 11, Y = 4 X = 10, Y = 3

The rules are modified when dealing with sections made up wholly of outstands, such as angles and Tees. These are included in Table 11. Single Angles - compression due to bending. Lim b/t 9 10 15 d/t 9 10 15

7.1

Limiting b/t values are as follows: 1. Plastic section 2. Compact section 3. Semi-compact section

Both b/t and d/t must be satisfied in each case. Double angles For the outstand leg of an angle in contact back-to-back in a double angle member or outstand leg of an angle with its back in continuous contact with another component, the following limiting b/t values apply. Lim.b/ t 1. Plastic section 9 2. Compact section 10 3. Semi-compact 15 Additionally for struts, the semi-compact check limits (b+d)/t to 24 All three criteria should be satisfied (b/t 15, d/t15 and (b+d)/ t24). 7.3 Tees Outstand elements forming the table of a tee are treated in the same way as normal nonwelded outstands. The stem is also treated as far as the plastic and compact checks go. But in making the semi-compact check the limiting d/t applicable to the stem is increased from 15 to 18. Also d = D overall depth of the section. Thus the limiting values of b/t are: For the flange: b/t 1. Plastic 9 2. Compact 10 3. Semi-compact 15
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For the stem: (D/t) 1. Plastic 9 2. Compact 10 3. Semi-compact 18 Tees cut from UB section will often be affected by local buckling.

8.0

Round Tubes

(Table 12 of Code)

As far as round tubes are concerned, the code makes no distinction between welded and non-welded members. CHS sections are treated in the same general way as other shapes. The following limiting values of D/t (where D is the outside diameter) apply. 1. Plastic section 40 2 2. Compact section 50 2 3. Semi-compact section 140 2 For axial compression, semi-compact - 80 2

9.0 9.1

Rectangular Hollow Sections (RHS) Including SHS Hot Finished RHS/SHS

The following limiting values of b/t apply.

Compression in bending Flange 1. Plastic section 2. Compact section 3. Semi-compact

b/t the lesser of 28 and (80 d/t) the lesser of 32 and (62 0.5d/t) 40 Lim d/t 64 80 120 40

Web (neutral axis at mid-depth) 1. Plastic section 2. Compact section 3. Semi-compact section Axial compression, semi compact limit

9.2

Cold formed RHS / SHS Compression in bending Flange Lim b/t

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Understanding Structural Steelwork Design Back to the Basics Lecture 1: Local Buckling & Section Classification

1. Plastic section the lesser of 26 and (72 -d/t) 2. Compact lesser of 28 and (54 -0.5d/t) 3. Semi-compact 35

Web (neutral axis at mid-depth) 1. Plastic 2. Compact 3. Semi-compact

d/t 56 70 105

For other positions of the neutral axis in the web, refer to the Code. Axial Compression Semi-compact limit 35

10.

BS EN 1993-1-1:2005 (EUROCODE 3) APPROACH (See Extracts from the Eurocode 3 )

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