2CL405 Design of StructuresIII

B. Tech. Civil Semester VII

DESIGN OF STEEL ELEMENTS

1. Important Design Specifications for Fillet Welding as per IS 800:2007, IS 816:1969
and IS 9595:1996
Size of the weld, s 3mm
When a fillet weld is applied to a square edge of a part or section, s 1.5 mm less than
the edge thickness
When a fillet weld is applied to a rounded toe of a rolled section, s of the thickness
of the section at the toe
The minimum size of the fillet weld should be as given below to avoid cracking in the
absence of preheating
Thickness (t) of thicker part in mm
t 10
10 < t 20
20 < t 32
32 < t 50
t >50

S (mm)
3
5
6
10 (8 mm for first run)
Special precaution like
pre-heating to be taken

Effective throat thickness: 3 mm, 0.7 thickness of thinner part joined; For stress
calculations, effective throat thickness = Ks, where K depends on the angle between the
fusion faces. Usually, the angle is 90 for which K = 1/sqrt(2) = 0.7
Effective length of a fillet weld = (actual length 2s) 4s
Length of end returns should not be less than 2s
In lap connections, the minimum length of weld should not be less than 4 times the
thickness of the thinner part joined or 40mm whichever is more. If only side fillets are
used, the length of the weld on either edge should not be less than the transverse
spacing between the welds.
The throat thickness of the end fillet weld, normal to direction of force, should not be
less than 0.5t where t is thickness of the part
For intermittent fillet welds,
Effective length (wl) 4s or 40 mm, whichever is greater
Clear spacing (uwl) 12t (for compression)
16t (for tension)
200 mm
Where t is the thickness of thinner part joined
Design shear strength of a fillet weld, fwd = fwn/mw
where, fwn = nominal shear strength of fillet weld = fu/(sqrt3)
fu = ultimate strength of the weld or the parent metal
mw = partial safety factor = 1.25 for shop welding,
= 1.5 for site welding
The design procedure for the fillet weld is as follows:

Assume the size of the weld based on the thickness of the members to be joined
By equating the deign strength of the weld to the external factored load, the effective
Prof Urmil V Dave

Institute of Technology, Nirma University

2CL405 Design of StructuresIII

B. Tech. Civil Semester VII

length of the weld to be provided either as longitudinal fillet welds (parallel to load
axis) or as transverse fillet welds (perpendicular to load axis) along with longitudinal
fillet welds. It is a common practice to treat both the welds as if they are stressed
equally. If the length exceeds 150te, reduce design capacity by a factor lw as per
clause 10.5.7.3 of the code
If only the longitudinal fillet weld is provided, a check is made to see if the length of
each longitudinal fillet weld is more than the perpendicular distance between them
End returns of length equal to twice the size of the weld are provided at each end of
the longitudinal fillet weld
When subjected to combined tensile and shear stress, the equivalent stress, fe, should
satisfy,
fe = sqrt(fa2 + 3q2) fu/(sqrt3 mw) .............................................................(1)
where fa is normal stress due to axial force or bending moment, and q is shear stress
due to shear force or tension
2. Important Design Specifications for Bolted Connection as per IS 800:2007
Shear Capacity of a Bolt
The design strength of a bolt in shear Vdsb is given by Vdsb = Vnsb/ mb .....................(2)
Where Vnsb is the nominal shear capacity of a bolt = (fub/sqrt3) (nnAnb + nsAsb).....(3)
Bearing Capacity of a Bolt
The design strength of a bolt in bearing Vdpb is given by Vdpb = Vnpb/ mb .....................(4)
Where Vnpb is the nominal bearing strength of a bolt = 2.5kb dtfu .................................(5)
kb is the smallest of e/3d0, [(p/3d0) 0.25], fub/fu, 1
Tension Capacity of a Plate
The design strength of a plate in tension due to rupture at the net section
Tdn = 0.9 An fu/ m1.....................................................................................................(6)
Design Strength due to Block Shear
The block shear strength Tdb of the bolted connection is the least of
Tdb = (Avg fy/mo sqrt3) + 0.9Atnfu/m1 .................................................................(7)
OR
Tdb = (0.9 Avn fu/m1 sqrt3) + Atg fy/m0 .......................................................................(8)
Tension Capacity of a Bolt
Prof Urmil V Dave

Institute of Technology, Nirma University

2CL405 Design of StructuresIII

B. Tech. Civil Semester VII

The design strength of a bolt in tension Tdb is the least of

(i) the design strength of the bolt due to the yielding of the gross section (i.e. the shank)
Tdbg = fyb Asb/ m0 .............................................................................................(9)
(ii) the design strength of the bolt due to the rupture at the net section (i.e. at the root of
the threads)
Tdbn = 0.9 fub Anb/ mb ....................................................................................(10)
Bolt subjected to Combined Shear and Torsion
A bolt subjected to shear and torsion simultaneously should satisfy the condition
(Vsb/Vdb)2 + (Tb/Tdb)2 1 ..............................................................................(11)
Other Specifications
The diameter of the hole should be the nominal diameter of the bolt plus the
clearance as given below:
Nominal diameter of bolt (mm)
Standard Clearance

12-14
1.0

16-24
2.0

24
3.0

Minimum pitch: the distance between the centres of the bolts in the direction of
stress should not be less than 2.5 times the nominal diameter of the bolt
Maximum pitch:
(i) 32t or 300 mm, whichever is less for the bolts in members including the tacking
bolts,
(ii) 16t or 200 mm, whichever is less for the bolts in tension members
(iii)12t or 200 mm, whichever is less for the bolts in compression members
Where t is the thickness of thinner plate
Edge and End distance
(i) Minimum edge and end distances from the centre of any hole to the nearest edge
of a plate should not be less than 1.7 times the hole diameter for sheared or handflame cut edges; and 1.5 times the hole diameter for rolled, machine-flame cut,
sawn and planned edges
(ii) The maximum edge distance from the centre of hole to the nearest edge should not
exceed 12t, where = sqrt(250/fy) and t is the thickness of the thinner outer plate.
Tacking Bolts
These are the additional bolts provided other than strength consideration. The
maximum pitch of these bolts should be 32t or 300 mm, whichever is less, where t is
the thickness of the thinner plate. If the members are exposed to weather, the pitch
should not exceed 16 times the thickness of the outside plate or 200 mm, whichever is
less.
Prof Urmil V Dave

Institute of Technology, Nirma University

2CL405 Design of StructuresIII

B. Tech. Civil Semester VII

3. Tension Members
The designer has to arrive at the type and size of member, based on tensile force acting on
the member. The type of member is chosen based on the type of the structure and location
of the member. The design is iterative, involving a choice of a trial section and an
analysis of its capacity. The various steps are as follows:
Step-I The net area required An to carry the designed load T is obtained by the equation,
An = Tu/(fu/m1) ...............................................................................................(12)
Step-II From the required net area, the gross area may be computed by increasing the net area
by about 25% to 40%. The required gross area may also be checked against that
required from the yield strength of the gross section as follows:
Ag = Tu/(fu/m0) ..............................................................................................(13)
A suitable trial section may be chosen from steel tables to meet the required gross
area.
Step-III The number of bolts or welding required for the connections is calculated. They are
arranged in a suitable pattern and the net area of the chosen section is calculated. The
design strength of the trial section is evaluated using equations (12) to (15) for plates
and threaded bars and additionally equations (16) to (18) in case of angles.
Tdg = 0.909 fyAg ............................................................................................(14)
where Ag is the gross area of cross-section in mm2, fy is the yield strength of the
material (MPa)
Tdn = 0.72 fuAn ...............................................................................................(15)
where An is the net effective area of cross-section in mm2, fu is the ultimate strength of
the material (MPa)
Plates: The block shear strength Tdb of the connection is taken as the smaller of
Tdb1 = 0.525 Avgfy + 0.72 fuAtn ....................................................................(16)
Tdb2 = 0.416 fuAvn +0.909 fyAtg ....................................................................(17)
where Avg and Avn are the minimum gross and net area in shear along a line of
transmitted force, respectively. Atg and Atn are the minimum gross and net area in
tension from the hole to the toe of the angle or next last row of bolt in plates,
perpendicular to the line of force, respectively and fu and fy are the ultimate and yield
stress of the material (MPa), respectively.

Prof Urmil V Dave

Institute of Technology, Nirma University

2CL405 Design of StructuresIII

B. Tech. Civil Semester VII

Angles: Strength as governed by block shear failure in angle end connection is

calculated using equations (5) and (6). The design strength is governed by
the tearing of the net section is given in cl. 6.3.3 of the code. Substituting the
values of m1 = 1.25 and m0 = 1.1, we get
Tdn = 0.72fuAnc + 0.909 fy Ago .................................................................(18)
and
= 1.4 0.076[(bs/Lc)(w/t)(fy/fu)] 0.88 fy/fu 0.7..................................(19)
where, w and t are the size and thickness of the outstanding leg, respectively, bs is the
shear distance from the edge of the outstanding leg to the nearest line of fasteners,
measured along the centre line of the legs in the cross-section, Lc is the length of the
end connection measured from the centre of the first bolt hole to the centre of the last
bolt hole in the end connection or length of the weld along load direction and, Anc is
the net area of connected leg at the critical cross-section, computed after deducting the
diameter of hole (the diameter of the holes should be taken as 2-mm larger than the
nominal size in case of punched holes), and Ago is the gross area of the outstanding
leg. Alternatively, the equation suggested by code, for preliminary design, with the
partial safety factor for material m1 = 1.25, we get
Tdn = 0.8A fu................................... ............................................................(20)
with = 0.6 for one or two bolts, 0.7 for three bolts, and 0.8 for four or more bolts in
end connections or equivalent weld length.
Step-IV If the design strength is either small or too large compared to the design force, a new
trial section is chosen and step-III.
Step-V The slenderness ratio of the member is checked as per Table 3 of code.
4. Compression Members
The strength of a compression member is based on its gross area Ag (for slender crosssection, Aeff should be used). The strength is always a function of the effective slenderness
ratio KL/r, and for short columns the yield stress fy of the steel. Since the radius of
gyration r depends on the section selected, the design of compression members is an
iterative process. The design procedure involves the following steps.
Step-I: The axial force in the member is determined by a rationale frame analysis, or by
statics for statically determinate structures. The factored load Pu is determined by
summing up the specified loads multiplied by the appropriate partial load factors f.
Step-II: Select a trial section. Note that the width/thickness limitations as given in Table 2 of
code to prevent local buckling must be satisfied (most of the rolled section satisfy the
width-to-thickness ratios specified in Table 2). If it is not satisfied and a slender section is
chosen, the reduced effective area Aeff should be used in the calculation. The trial section
may be chosen by making initial guesses for Aeff/A, and fcd (between 0.4-0.6fy) and
calculating the target area A. Following member sizes may be used as a trial section:
Prof Urmil V Dave

Institute of Technology, Nirma University

2CL405 Design of StructuresIII

B. Tech. Civil Semester VII

(a) Single angle size 1/30 of the length of compression member

(b) Double angle size 1/35 of the length of compression member
(c) Circular hollow section diameter = 1/40 of length
The slenderness ratios as given in the Table 1 will help the designer to choose the trial
sections.
Table 1 Slenderness ratios to be assumed while selecting the trial sections
Type of Member
Single angles
CHS, SHS, RHS
Single channels
Double angles
Double channels
Single I-section
Double I-section

Slenderness ratio(L/r)
100-150
90-110
90-150
80-120
40-80
80-150
30-60

Step-III: Compute KL/r for the section selected. The computed value of KL/r should be
within the maximum limiting value given in Table 2. Using Fig 8 and Tables 9 and 10 of
code, compute fcd and the design strength Pd = Afcd.
Table 2 Maximum Slenderness ratio of compression members
Type of Member
KL/r
Carrying loads resulting from dead loads and superimposed loads
180
Carrying loads resulting from wind and seismic loads only, provided 250
the deformation of such a member does not adversely affect the stress
in any part of the structure
Normally acting as a tie in a roof truss or a bracing system but subject 350
to possible reversal of stress resulting from the action of wind or
seismic forces
Lacing bars in columns
145
Elements (components) in built-up sections
50
Step-IV: Compare Pd with Pu. When the strength provided does not exceed the strength
required by more than a few percentages, the design would be acceptable: otherwise
repeat steps 2 through 4.
5. Beams
5.1 Laterally Supported Beams
The design of laterally supported beams consists of selecting a section on the basis of the
modulus of section and checking it for shear, deflection, and web crippling. The steps to
be followed are a follows:
Step-I: The loads that may be acting on the beam are ascertained. The design loads are
obtained by summing up the loads multiplied by the appropriate partial load factors as
given in Table 4 of the code.
Prof Urmil V Dave

Institute of Technology, Nirma University

2CL405 Design of StructuresIII

B. Tech. Civil Semester VII

Step-II: A trial beam section is assumed and the distribution of the bending moment along the
length of the beam is determined by an elastic analysis (if the beam is statically
indeterminate) or by statics (if the beam is statically determinate). The maximum
bending moment and shear force are calculated.
Step-III: The required section modulus may be determined by
Md = 0.909bZpfy 1.09Zefy 1.36 Zefy (for cantilever), when V < Vd .... (21)
Md is design bending strength, V is design shear force, Vd is the design shear strength,
b is 1 for plastic and semi-compact sections and b is Ze/Zp, for semi-compact
sections
Md = 0.909Zefy for class 3 semi-compact sections .......................................(22)
Md = Zefy for class 4 slender sections ..........................................................(23)
Zp and Ze are the plastic and elastic section moduli of the cross-section, respectively.,
and fy is the yield stress of the material.
Step-IV: Select a suitable section from steel table, which has a section modulus equal to or
more than the calculated section modulus.
Step-V: Evaluate whether the selected section falls in the category of compact, semi-compact
or plastic section. Check the adequacy of the selected section including self weight of the
beam to satisfy for required plastic section modulus
Step-VI: The selected beam is to be checked for shear. Calculate the factored design shear
force V. The V in a beam due to external actions should satisfy,
V Vd .........................................................................................................(24)
Where Vd, the design strength is given by
Vd = 0.909 Vn ...............................................................................................(25)
Vn is nominal shear strength of a cross-section and may be governed by plastic shear
resistance or the strength of the web governed by shear buckling.
Step-VII: The design capacity of the member is to be evaluated and should be more than the
maximum bending moment calculated.
Step-VIII: The beam is checked for deflection, as per Table 6 of the code. Actual deflection
should be less than allowable maximum deflection.
Step-IX: The beam is checked for web buckling. Strength of the section against web buckling
Fwb should be more than the calculated shear force.
Prof Urmil V Dave

Institute of Technology, Nirma University

2CL405 Design of StructuresIII

B. Tech. Civil Semester VII

Fwb = (b1 + n1) tfc ..........................................................................................(26)

Where, b1 is the stiff bearing length, n1 is the dispersion of 45 line at the mid depth of
the section, t is the web thickness and fc is the allowable compressive stress
corresponding to the assumed web strut. The effective length of the strut is taken as LE
as 0.7d, where d is the depth of the strut in between the flanges. The slenderness ratio
of the idealized strut is 2.5d/t.
Step-X: The beam is checked for web crippling/ web bearing. Strength of the section against
web buckling Fcrip should be more than the calculated shear force. The crippling strength
of the web (also called as the web bearing capacity) at supports is calculated as
Fcrip = (b1 + n2) tfyw ......................................................................................(27)
Where, n2 is the length obtained by dispersion through the flange, to the flange to web
connection (web toes of fillets), at a slope of 1:2.5 to the plane of flange (i.e. n2 = 2.5d1).
fyw is the design yield strength of the web. At an interior panel where concentrated load is
acting, the crippling strength is given by,
Fcrip = (b1 + 2n1) tfyw.......................................................................................(28)
If the above bearing capacity or crippling strength of the beam web is exceeded,
stiffeners must be provided to carry the load.
5.2 Laterally Unsupported Beams
When the compression flange of the beam is laterally unsupported, lateral torsional
buckling may take place, leading to failure at or below the elastic critical moment. The
design of laterally unsupported beams with equal flanges (e.g., I-sections and channel
sections) or mono symmetric beams is essentially a trial and error process, since the
section dimensions are not initially known. Hence, we have to assume a section in order
to compute the strength of that section. The design procedure is essentially the same as
described for a laterally supported section, except that in Step-III, the design strength Md
is computed based on provisions given in section 8.2.2 as well as E1.2 of the code for
mono symmetric section and compared with the factored design moment M. If it is not
equal to or greater than the factored design moment, next higher section is chosen and
the process is repeated till a section which satisfies the condition M Md is found.

Prof Urmil V Dave

Institute of Technology, Nirma University