Course on Design of Steel Structures

Professor Damodar Maity

Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Lecture 33
Module 7
Compressive strength of double angles

Now I will be discussing about the design compressive strength of a double angles section.
Now double angles section is oftenly used because many cases appear when the single angle
is not capable of taking that much load and also in case of single angle the radius of gyration
about the minor axis is very low compared to its X axis, or Y axis, or major axis. Therefore as
radius of gyration is quite low about in minor axis, so strength of the angle section is quite
low because it may buckle about its minor axis.

And if radius of gyration is low then slenderness ratio will be high and if the slenderness ratio
high then the design compressive stress will be less and therefore the design strength of the
member will be less. Therefore with the given load sometimes we go for double angle
section. Double angle section may be placed by back to back with gusset plate means two
sides of gusset plate two angle section can be provided or in the same side of gusset plate
angle sections can be provided. So this is how one can place the angle sections to make
double angle section.

(Refer Slide Time: 2:15)

Now to know the design strength of the angle section first we have to know the effective
length of the double angles which is given in clause 7.5.2. So the codal provision says that
depending on the degree of restraint provided the effective length will be consider as 0.7 to
0.85 times the distance between intersections and the effective length KL, in the plane
perpendicular to that of the end gusset shall be taken as equal to the distance between centre
of intersections. That means here K value will be 1, so this is what the codal provision says.

So when we will be going to calculate the strength of a double angle section we have to
follow this codal provision 7.5.2 to find out the effective length and thereafter the slenderness
ratio and then compressive stress, the allowable compressive stress. Therefore we have to
know the effective length of the double angle section means whether it is according to the
degree of restraint means whether the length is in the plane perpendicular to that of end
gusset or other one.

(Refer Slide Time: 4:02)

So angle sections may be provided like this, say suppose two angle sections I want to
provide. Now that may be possible if I use two angle section on the opposite side of gusset
plate, this is one way we can make, the other way we can provide like two angle section in
same side of the gusset plate.

Also the two angles can be provided like star formation also however it depends on the
requirement means what type of architectural requirement is there depending on that we can
provide such type of double angle section. And also we will see if I provide angle section
opposite side to the gusset plate or same side of the gusset plate then at which formation the
strength will be more and that can be check through one workout example.

(Refer Slide Time: 6:03)

Example: A discontinuous strut of length 4 m consists of two unequal angles ISA 100×75×8
and is connected to a 10 mm thick gusset plate by its longer leg. Determine the strength if it is
connected on the:

i) Opposite side of the gusset plate

ii) Same side of the gusset plate

Solution:

Properties of ISA 100×75×8 : [Table IV, SP:6(1)-1964]

A= 1336 mm2

rx = 31.4 mm ry = 21.8 mm

ru = 34.8 mm rv = 15.9 mm

Cx = 31.0 mm Cy = 18.7 mm

Ix = 131.6×104 mm4 Iy = 63.3×104 mm4

(Refer Slide Time: 8:12)

i) Angles placed on opposite sides of the gusset plate:

For double angle struts

A ' = 2×1336 = 2672 mm2

'
r x = 31.4 mm (same as for single angle)

I 'y =2 [ I y + A ( c y +t g /2 ) 2 ]

(Refer Slide Time: 12:50)

 I 'y =2 [ I y + A ( c y +t g /2 ) 2 ]

¿ 2× [ 63.3× 10 4 +1336 × ( 18.7+10 /2 ) 2 ]

¿ 276.68× 10 4 mm 4

Therefore, r '
y =
√ I 'y
A'
=
√ 276.68 ×10 4
2672
=32.18 mm

' '
Hence, r min =min of ( r x ∧r y ) =31.4 mm

Now effective Length, l e =0.85 l=0.85 × 4=3.4 m [Cl. 7.5.2.1, IS 800]

(Refer Slide Time: 15:22)

 le
Slenderness Ratio, λ ¿
r min

3.4 × 1000
¿ =108.28<180 [Table 3, IS 800 2007]
31.4

Hence, the section is ok.

Buckling class for angle section – ‘c’ [Table 10, IS 800: 2007]

For f y=250 MPa and λ=108.28 and buckling class c, using Table 9(c) of IS 800:
2007, we have

( 107−94.6 )
f cd =107− × 8.28=96.73 MPa
10

(Refer Slide Time: 18:34)

Hence strength of the member ¿ 96.73 ×2672 ×10−3

¿ 258.46 k N

ii) Angle placed on the same side of the gusset plate

 '
A = 2672 mm2

r 'y = 21.8 mm (same as for single angle)

(Refer Slide Time: 20:38)

I 'x =2 [ I x + A C x2 ]

¿ 2× [ 131.6×104 +1336 ×31 2 ]

¿ 519.98× 10 4 mm 4

Therefore r 'x =
√ I 'x
A'
=
√ 519.98 ×10 4
2672
=44. 11 mm

' '
Hence, r min =min of ( r x ∧r y ) =21.8 mm
(Refer Slide Time: 22:36)

Effective Length, l e =0.85 l=0.85 × 4=3.4 m [cl. 7.5.2.1, IS 800: 2007]

le
Slenderness Ratio, λ ¿
r min

3.4 × 1000
¿ =155.96<180 [Table 3, IS 800: 2007]
21.8

Hence, the section is ok.

Buckling class for angle section – ‘c’ [table 10, IS 800: 2007]

For f y=250 MPa and λ=155.96 and buckling class c, using table 9(c) of IS 800:
2007, we have

(59.2−53.3 )
f cd =59.2− ×5.96=55.68 MPa
10

Hence strength of the member ¿ 55.68× 2672× 10−3

¿ 148.78 k N
(Refer Slide Time: 24:50)

Strength of the member when Angles placed on

(i) Opposite sides of the gusset plate: 258.46 k N

(ii) Same side of the gusset plate: 148.78 k N

So what we could see for the same angle if it is placed opposite side to the gusset plate its
strength is quite high compared to this that means we will try to prefer always the angles to
be placed opposite side of the gusset plate. So that the strength can be achieved more
compared to the earlier case means when angles are placed same side of the gusset plate.