Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-1

Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan

Shiraz University

Chapter 2
Concepts in Structural Steel Design
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-2
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Design Philosophies
The fundamental requirement of structural design is that the required
strength does not exceed the provided (available) strength; that is:

Required strength  Provided (available) strength

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) provides

specifications for the design of structural steel buildings.
Two different design philosophies have been used for steel design.
1. Allowable Stress Design (ASD or WSD)
2. Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD)
The new philosophy of
Performance-Based Design (PBD)
has already been in use.

1. Allowable Stress Design (ASD)

 a Working Stress Method.

 allowable stresses taken as a fraction of the yield stress.
 based on the elastic analysis of structures (i.e. members must be
in the elastic range).
 is an alternative method from AISC. The long-standing AISC
Allowable Stress Design (ASD) is gradually being phased out in
favor of the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD).
This can be expressed as:

Required strength  Allowable strength

 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-3
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Nominal strength
Allowable strength =
Safety factor

If stresses are used instead of forces or moments,

Maximum applied stress  Allowable stress

2. Load and resistance factor design (LRFD)

 The AISC-LRFD will be the sole basis for the topics covered in
this course.

 In recent years, the trend has been towards limit states design
(LRFD).

 Briefly, when a structure that is properly designed based on the

LRFD method is subjected to all appropriate combinations of
factored loads, none of its applicable limit states will be
exceeded.

 Allows for more economical designs.

 A limit state is reached when the structure (or one of its

components) becomes unfit and ceases to fulfill its intended
function(s).

 Two general categories of limit states exist:

 Strength limit state (e.g. plastic hinge, buckling, etc.)

 Serviceability limit state (e.g. excessive deformations and
vibrations, etc.).
 The criterion that must be satisfied in the selection of a member is:

Factored load effect  factored strength

 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-4
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

In other words:

 Loads  load factors   resistance  resistance factor

Sum of the factored load effects  Design Strength

Load Factors, Resistance Factors, and

Load Combinations for LRFD
 The LRFD method as applied to each limit state can be written as:

 i Qi Rn
where,

Qi = a load effect (a force or a moment)

i = a load factor

Rn = the nominal resistance, or strength, of the component under

consideration

 = resistance factor (strength reduction factor)

 Rn = design strength

 In the above relationship, the left side, which represents the

load combinations, is the required strength (Ru) and the right side
is the design strength (Rd).

 Loads (or load effects) are shown as Qi multiplied by their

respective load factors i.

 The right side is the product of the nominal strength or

resistance (Rn) multiplied by its resistance factor ().
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-5
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Strength Factor
0.90 for limit states involving yielding

0.75 for limit states involving rupture (fracture)

Example values of  factors are as follows:

For tension members (yielding limit state): t0.90

For tension members (fracture limit state): t = 0.75
For compression members: c = 0.90 AISC 2-12

Beams (flexure): b = 0.90

Beams (shear): v = 0.90
Fasteners:  = 0.75
Welds:  = same as for type of action

Load Combinations (AISC 2-10)

 Allowable load reductions for large floors and multistory
structures are considered in the load factors.
 All applicable load combinations are checked to identify the
critical case for each element.
 Section B2 of the AISC Specification requires that the load
factors and load combinations given in ASCE 7 (ASCE 2010) be
used.
 These load factors and load combinations are based on extensive
statistical studies. The seven combinations are as follows:
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-6
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

1.4(D +F) (1)

1.2(D+F+T) + 1.6(L+H) + 0.5(Lr or S or R) (2)
1.2D + 1.6(Lr or S or R) + (0.5L or 0.5W) (3)
1.2D + 1.0W + 0.5L + 0.5 (Lr or S or R) (4)
1.2D +1.0E + 0.5L + 0.2S (5)
0.9(D+H) + 1.0W (6)
0.9(D+H) + 1.0E (7)

where the nominal service loads indicated by the above equations are:

D = dead load (gravity load from the weight of structural

elements and permanent attachments)
L = live load (gravity occupancy and movable equipment load)
Lr = roof live load
W = wind load
S = snow load
E = earthquake load
R = rainwater or ice load (exclusive of the ponding contribution)
F = Fluid load
T = Self straining load
H = lateral earth pressure load
Note: if a governing building code specifies other load combinations,
then they should be used.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-7
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

 Normally, fluid pressure F, earth pressure H, and self-straining

force T, are not applicable to the design of structural steel
members.
 As a result the AISC-LRFD load combinations are as follows:
1.4D (1)
1.2D + 1.6L + 0.5(Lr or S or R) (2)
1.2D + 1.6(Lr or S or R) + (0.5L or 0.5W) (3) AISC 2-10
1.2D + 1.0W + 0.5L + 0.5 (Lr or S or R) (4)
1.2D +1.0E + 0.5L + 0.2S (5)
0.9D + (1.0W or 1.0E) (6)

Note: The above symbols represent either the loads themselves

or the load effects (i.e. the forces or moments caused
by the loads). Therefore, the symbol D means dead load,
dead load moment, dead load shear, dead load axial force,
etc. Each load combination models the design loading
condition when a different load is at its maximum.

 The above equations are for computing strength limit states.

 For serviceability limit states (such as deflection), the

unfactored service loads are used.

An Important Note:
For garages, areas of public assembly, and where the live load
exceeds 100 psf (4.8 kN/m 2), the load factor for the live load L
in combinations 3, 4 and 5 should be 1.0 instead of 0.5.
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-8
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Performance-Based Building Design

 The performance-based seismic design process explicitly evaluates
how a building is likely to perform; given the potential hazard it is
likely to experience, considering uncertainties inherent in the
quantification of potential hazard and uncertainties in assessment
of the actual building response.
 Performance concept is based on two key characteristics :
 the use of two languages, one for the clients/users
requirements and the other for the supply of the
performance;
 the need for validation and verification of results against
performance targets.
 The basic questions that should be asked are;
 What events are anticipated?
 What level of loss/damage/casualties is acceptable?
 How often might this happen?
 Acceptable performance follows a trend corresponding to;
 Little or no damage for small, frequently occurring events.
 Moderate damage for medium-size, less frequent events.
 Significant damage for very large, very rare events.
 In a Performance Based approach the focus of all decisions is on
demand requirements and on required performance in use.
 The main steps in a Performance Based Building Design process are
 Identifying and formulating the relevant user requirements,
 Transforming the User Requirements identified into
Performance Requirements and quantitative performance
criteria,
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-9
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

 Using reliable design and evaluation tools to assess whether

proposed solutions meet the stated criteria at a satisfactory
level.

Select
Performance
Objectives

Develop
Preliminary
building Design

Assess
Performance

Revise Design

Does
No Performance Yes
Done
Meet
Objectives?
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-10
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Tributary Widths and Tributary Areas

 These concepts are used to determine the distribution of floor and
roof loads to the individual structural members.
 The tributary width (TW) of a beam or girder is defined as the
width of the floor or roof supported by the beam or girder and is
equal to;
TW= Sum of one-half the distance to the adjacent beams
 The tributary area of a beam, girder or column is the floor or roof
area supported by the structural member.
 The tributary area of a column is the plan area bounded by lines
located at one-half the distance to the adjacent columns
surrounding that column.
 Beams are usually subjected to uniformly distributed loads from
the roof or floor slab or deck.
 Girders are usually subjected to concentrated or point loads due to
reactions from the beams.
 Perimeter beams and girders support an additional uniform load due
to the loads acting on the floor or roof area extending from the
centerline of the beam or girder to the edge of the roof or floor.
Example 1
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-11
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-12
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Example 2

Example 3
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-13
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Example 4

0.5x180 1002 lb/ft

1.0 540 lb/ft

1002 lb/ft
 Design of Steel Structures (I) Page 2-14
Chapter 2: Concepts in Structural Steel Design M. Reza Banan
Shiraz University

Example 5

0.5 360 k
0.5 287.5 k
1.0 k 470 k
1.0 325 k

1.0 260 k
1.0 115 k