Exam Steel Structures 2 CT 4115 and CT 3121 April 2010

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Selection of Clauses on buckling from TGB 1990 Steel Structures (NEN 6770) and
National Annex EN 1993-1-1


a) Determination of the buckling length for members in braced frames


Figure 40: Elastic effective buckling length (
ef
) of elastically supported members in braced frames.

In Figure 40 is:

C is the parameter for the elastic support at the member end. The indices "A" and "B" refer to both ends of
the member (column):

=
bm
bm
c
c
I
I
C

u
ln
ln
.(12.1-8)

is the sign for the summation of all members that are bending moment resistant connected to the
considered member end and are in the plane in which the stability check is carried out; so, the sum of
the connected members respectively the sum of the connected column and the considered column itself.
ln c
I is the moment of inertia of a column for the axis perpendicular to the considered plane.
Exam Steel Structures 2 CT 4115 and CT 3121 April 2010
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ln c
is the length of the column.
bm
I is the moment of inertia of a beam for the axis perpendicular to the considered plane.
bm
is the length of the beam.
u is the correction factor to take into account the support condition at the other end of the supporting
beam:
u =2 if the other end is moment resistant connected to one or more columns that are also loaded in
compression.
u =3 if the other end is simply supported.
u =4 if the other end is clamped.

b) Determination of buckling length for members in unbraced frames


Figure 41: Elastic effective buckling length (
ef
) of elastic supported bars in unbraced frames.

In Figure 41 is:

C is the parameter for the elastic support at the considered member end. The indices "A" and "B" refer to
both ends of the member (column):
Exam Steel Structures 2 CT 4115 and CT 3121 April 2010
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=
bm
bm
c
c
I
I
C

u
ln
ln
.(12.1-11)
u is the correction factor to take into account the support condition at the other end of a supporting beam:
u =6 if the other end is moment resistant connected to one or more than one column that is also loaded
in compression.
u =4 if the other end is clamped.
u =3 if the other end is simply supported.
Other symbols are explained under Figure 40.
For columns where the ends are elastically supported (flexibly clamped) with beams that are not fully stiff
connected to the columns,
ef
may be determined following the same procedure. In this case it is necessary that
at the determination of the parameters C
A
and C
B
according to (12.1-11) the beam length
bm
is replaced by the
equivalent beam length
equ
:

o
u
k
I E
bm d
bm equ
+ = .(12.1-12)
o
k is the rotation stiffness of a flexible connection.


c) Buckling strength
,
1
Ed
b Rd
N
N
s

With:

1
y
cr
A f
N

= =

( )
1
2
0, 5 1 0, 2
y
E
f
t
o
=

u = + +



2
2
1
;

=
u+ u

but

1 ; s


With:

Table 6.1: Imperfection factors for buckling curves
Buckling curve a
0
a b c d
Imperfection factor 0,13 0,21 0,34 0,49 0,76

,
1
y
b Rd
M
A f
N
;

=
Exam Steel Structures 2 CT 4115 and CT 3121 April 2010
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