Part 4

METHODS OF STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Section

4.1
4.2
4.2.1
4.2.1.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
4.3
4.4
4.5

Page

See Section 2.1 for the specific Material Standard (AS 1163)
referred to by the section type and steel grade in these Tables.

4-2
4-2
4-2
4-3
4-3
4-4
4-5
4-6
4-6

Methods of Determining Design Action Effects

Moment Amplifiction for First-Order Elastic Analysis
Braced Members
Calculation of cm
Sway Members
Elastic Flexural Buckling Loads
Examples
Miscellaneous
References

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4.1

4.2

Methods of Determining Design Action Effects

This section provides guidance on calculating design action effects as required by AS 4100.
The methods of analysis recognised by AS 4100 are:
(a)
first-order elastic analysis with moment amplification (Clause 4.4.2 of AS 4100)
(b)
second-order elastic analysis (Appendix E of AS 4100)
(c)
plastic analysis with moment amplification (Clause 4.5 of AS 4100), and
(d)
advanced analysis (Appendix D of AS 4100).
These four methods consider the interaction of load and deformation that produce
second-order effects. For members subject to bending and axial force, second-order effects
(known as P and P effects) can increase the design bending moment. Method (a) without
moment amplification i.e. first-order elastic analysis does not consider these second-order
effects and may be used for members with bending moments only, axial tension or compression
force only and, for braced members, combined bending moments and tension forces.
In general, structural analysis methods (a) with and without moment amplification and (b)
are most commonly used. However, (b) can only be effectively used via computer methods.
Method (c) is currently not permitted by AS 4100 for structural hollow sections and method (d)
is not commonly used. Consequently, method (a) will be considered further as methods (b),
(c) and (d) are beyond the scope of this publication. The following Sections are presented
as a guide for the designer when using method (a).

Moment Amplification for First-Order Elastic Analysis

For a member subjected to combined bending moment and axial force, the bending moments
are amplified by the presence of axial force. This occurs for both isolated, statically determinate
members and members in a statically indeterminate frame. A first-order elastic analysis alone
does not consider second-order effects, however, moment amplification accounts for the
second-order effects. The moment amplification factor is calculated differently for braced
and sway members as shown below.

4.2.1 Braced Members

In a braced member the transverse displacement of one end of the member relative to the other
is effectively prevented. The moment amplification factor for a braced member is b.
If a first-order elastic analysis is carried out then b is used to amplify the bending moments
between the ends of the member (Clause 4.4.2.2 of AS 4100). If b is greater than 1.4,
a second-order elastic analysis must be carried out in accordance with Appendix E of AS 4100.
b can be calculated from the flow chart in Figure 4.1. The design bending moment is given by:
M* = M*m
(for braced members subject to axial tension or with zero axial force)
M*m = b M*m
(for braced members subject to compression)
where M*m is the maximum design bending moment calculated from a first-order analysis.

The tabulated values in Parts 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 may be used for design in those cases where
second-order effects:
can be neglected (members with only: tension force; compression force; bending
moments, or; for braced members, combined bending moments and tension force)
are accounted for by using moment amplification factors in conjunction with
a first-order elastic analysis
are accounted for in a second-order elastic analysis.

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4.2.1.1 Calculation of cm

Calculation of b

Members with
Idealised End Restraints;
Clause 4.6.3.2 of AS 4100

Members with Frames;

Clause 4.6.3.3 of AS 4100

Calculate Member
Effective Length keL;
Figure 4.6.3.2 of AS 4100

Calculate Member Effective

Length keL; Clauses 4.6.3.3, 4.6.3.4
and Figure 4.6.3.3(a) of AS 4100

The factor for unequal moments (cm) is used in the calculation of b. If a braced member is
subject only to end moments then:
cm = 0.6 0.4m 1.0
(Clause 4.4.2.2 of AS 4100)
where m is the ratio of the smaller to the larger bending moment at the ends of the member,
taken as positive when the member is bent in reverse curvature.
If the member is subjected to transverse loading, m is calculated as follows:
a)
m = -1.0 (conservative)
(Clause 4.4.2.2(a) of AS 4100)
b)
m is obtained by matching the moment distribution
options shown in Figure 4.4.2.2 of AS 4100.
c)
m is based on the midspan deflection
(Clause 4.4.2.2(c) of AS 4100)

4.2.2

Sway Members

In a sway member the transverse displacement of one end of the member relative to the other
is not effectively prevented. The moment amplification factor for a sway member is s.
The bending moments calculated from a first-order elastic analysis are modified by the moment
amplification factor (m) which is the greater of b (see Section 4.2.1) and s (Clause 4.4.2.3 of
AS 4100). If m is greater than 1.4 a second-order elastic analysis must be used in accordance
with Appendix E of AS 4100.

Compute Nomb from

Clause 4.6.2 of AS 4100

b and s are calculated from the flow charts shown in Figures 4.1 and 4.2 and the design
bending moment is given by:
M* = m M*
m

Compute cm from
Clause 4.4.2.2 of AS 4100

Figure 4.1: Flow Chart for the calculation of the moment amplification factor for a braced member, b

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4.2.3 Elastic Flexural Buckling Loads

Calculation of s

Elastic flexural buckling loads (Nom ) are required for the calculation of b and m. Values of
Nom for various effective lengths (Le ) are determined from Clause 4.6.2 of AS 4100 by:

Members with Idealised

End Restraints; Clause
4.6.3.2 of AS 4100

Nom
=

Members in Frames;
Clause 4.6.3.3 of AS 4100

Calculate Member Effective Length

keL; Figure 4.6.3.2 of AS 4100 or
Figure 6.1 of this Publication

Rectangular Frames with

Negligible Axial Forces in the
Beams; Clause 4.4.2.3(a)
of AS 4100

Calculate Member Effective Length

keL; Clauses 4.6.3.3, 4.6.3.4 and
Figure 4.6.3.3(b) of AS 4100
Compute Noms from Clause 4.6.2 of AS 4100

P Analysis

Clause 4
.4.2.3(a)(i)
AS
4100

of

Compute ms from Clause 4.7.2.2 of AS 4100

Non-Rectangular
Frames; Clause

4 .4.2.3(b) of

AS4100

where ke L = Le = effective length. ke is given in Figure 6.1 for members with idealised
end restraints. For braced or sway members in frames, ke depends on the ratio ( ) of the
compression member stiffness to the end restraint stiffness, calculated at each end of the
member. Refs. [4.1,4.2] provide worked examples for the calculation of effective lengths
and moment amplification factors for members in those instances.
For a specific effective length, reference can be made to the Dimensions and Properties
Tables in Part 3 (i.e. Tables 3.1-1 to 3.1-4 as appropriate) to determine I (i.e. Ix or Iy ) and then
simply evaluate the above equation for Nom.

c
Calculate

from Rational

Analysis
Buckling

Figure 4.2: Flow Chart for the calculation of the moment amplification factor for a sway member, s

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4.3

Examples

Solution:

1.
Braced Beam-Column
Determine the design action effects for an isolated braced beam-column which is subject to the
design actions as noted in Figure 4.3.

N*

450 kN

Nombx =
=
(Ix obtained from Table 3.1-3 (1))

= 1350 kN

3.1-3 (1))

Nomby = =
(I
obtained
from
Table

= 2430 kN

M*
at End
B
mx =
maximum


135
kNm

at Ends A and B
M*
kNm maximum

my = 20

cmx = 0.60
from Section 4.2.1.1 for mx = 0

cmy = 1.0
from Section 4.2.1.1 for
my = -1.0

From Figure 4.1 the moment amplification
factor ( b ) is givenby:

b =

Considering flexural bucklingabout

the
bx =

x-axis:

= 0.900 (<1) ( bx = 1.0)

Maximum moment occurs

at
the
ends,
i.e.
at
End
A
M*
= 135 kNm

Figure 4.3: Design action effects on isolated braced beam-column

Design Data:
Section:
250 x 150 x 12.5 RHS in DualGrade designed as AS 1163 Grade C450L0
Effective Lengths: Axial compression flexural buckling (x-axis), Lex = 10.0 m
Axial compression flexural buckling (y-axis), Ley = 5.0 m

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by =

Considering flexural buckling about the y-axis:

= 1.23
Maximum moment occurs between ends, i.e. in span M*y = 1.23 x 20
= 24.6 kNm
It can be seen that there is a 23% increase in the peak moment about the y-axis due to the
second-order interaction effects between bending and axial compression.

4.5

References

[4.1]

Bradford, M.A., Bridge, R.Q. and Trahair, N.S., Worked Examples for Steel Structures,
third edition, Australian Institute of Steel Construction, 1997 (Note: AISC is now ASI
the Australian Steel Institute).
AISC, Design Capacity Tables for Structural Steel Volume 1: Open Sections,
third edition, Australian Institute of Steel Construction, 1999 (Note: AISC is now ASI
the Australian Steel Institute).

[4.2]

See Section 1.1.2 for details on reference Standards.

2.
Sway Beam-Column
Due to space limitations, general examples of sway beam-columns are considered in Refs. [4.1,4.2].

4.4

Miscellaneous

Readers should note that previous editions of this publication by the Australian Steel Institute
(previously AISC) listed tables of Nom at the end of Part 4. These tables were rarely used and
could be readily calculated by manual methods (as noted in the example above). Consequently,
the Nom tables have been omitted from this part of the Tables and this also aligns with Ref. [4.2]
which is a companion publication that considers hot-rolled open sections (UB, UC, etc.)

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