ENCE 710

Design of Steel
Structures
V. Lateral-Torsional Buckling
of Beams
C. C. Fu, Ph.D., P.E.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department
University of Maryland

Introduction
Following subjects are covered:
Lateral Torsional Buckling (LTB)
Flange Local Buckling (FLB)
Web Local Buckling (WLB)
Shear strength
Lateral Bracing Design
Reading:
Chapters 9 of Salmon & Johnson
AISC LRFD Specification Chapters B (Design
Requirements) and F (Design of Members for Flexure)
2

Introduction
A beam can fail by reaching the plastic moment and
becoming fully plastic (see last section) or fail
prematurely by:
1.
LTB, either elastically or inelastically
2.
FLB, either elastically or inelastically
3.
WLB, either elastically or inelastically
If the maximum bending stress is less than the
proportional limit when buckling occurs, the failure
is elastic. Else it is inelastic.
For bending bMn(b = 0.9)
3

Design of Members for Flexure

(about Major Axis)

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(LTB)

Compact Members (AISC F2)

Failure Mode
Plastic LTB (Yielding)
Inelastic LTB
Elastic LTB
Moment Gradient Factor Cb
5

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(cont.)

Failure Mode
A beam can buckle
in a lateral-torsional
mode when the
bending moment
exceeds the critical
moment.

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(cont.)

Nominal Flexural Strength Mn

Lb and
Lp
plastic when
Lb Lr
inelastic when Lp and
elastic when and Lb Lr

Mn M p

M p Mn Mr

Mn Mr

Mn
C b 1.0

Mp
plastic

inelastic

elastic

Mr

Lb
Lp

Lr

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(cont.)

I-Beam
in a
Buckled
Position

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(cont.)

Elastic LTB
coupled differential equations for rotation and lateral
translation (8.5.10) d
d 3
M z GJ
ECw 3
dz
dz
where
Mz
z=
=
G
J=
E=
Cw

= moment at location z along member axis

axis along member length
angle of twist
= shear modulus
torsional constant (AISC Table 1-1 for torsional prop.)
modulus of elasticity
= warping constant (AISC Table 1-1 for warping)
9

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(cont.)

Plastic LTB (Yielding)

Flexural Strength (AISC

M n F2-1)
M p Fy Z

where Z= plastic section modulus & Fy= section yield

stress
Limits
E
Lateral bracing limit Lb Lp 1.76ry
(AISC F2-5)

Fy

Flange and Web width/thickness limit

(AISC Table B4.1)

(Note: Lpd in Salmon & Johnson Eq. (9.6.2) is removed from AISC 13 th Ed.)
10

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(cont.)

Inelastic LTB

Lp Lb Lr

Flexure Strength (straight line interpolation)

M n Cb

Lb Lp

M p M p Mr
L L
p
r

Mp

(9.6.4)

or

Lb Lp

M n Cb M p M p 0.7 Fy S x
L L
p

Mp

(AISC F2-2)

11

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(cont.)

Lb Lr

Elastic LTB

Flexure Strength
(AISC F2-3)

M n Fcr S x M p
Fcr

Cb 2 E
Lb

r
ts

Jc Lb

1 0.078
S x ho rts

(AISC F2-4)

(The square root term may be conservatively taken equal to 1.0)

(c in AISC F2-8a,b for doubly symmetric I-shape, and channel, respectively)

Limit

E
Lr 1.95rts
0.7 Fy
2

rts

I y Cw
Sx

0.7 Fy S x ho
Jc
1 1 6.76

S x ho
E
Jc

(AISC F2-6)
(AISC F2-7)12

Lateral Torsional Buckling

(cont.)

Moment Gradient Factor Cb

The moment gradient factor Cb accounts for the

variation of moment along the beam length between
bracing points. Its value is highest, Cb=1, when the
moment diagram is uniform between adjacent
bracing points.
When the moment diagram is not uniform
12.5M max
C

(9.6.3)b
2.5M max 3M A 4 M B 3M C
(AISC F1-1)

where
Mmax= absolute value of maximum moment in unbraced length
MA, MB, MC= absolute moment values at one-quarter, one-half, and
three-quarter points of unbraced length
13

Cb for a Simple Span

Bridge

14

Nominal Moment Strength Mu

as affected by Cb

15

Flange Local Buckling

(FLB)

Compact Web and Noncompact/Slender

Flanges (AISC F3)
Failure Mode
Noncompact Flange
Slender Flange
Nominal Flexural strength, Mn = Min
(F2, F3)
16

Flange Local Buckling (cont.)

Failure Mode
The compression
flange of a beam
can buckle locally
when the bending
stress in the flange
exceeds the critical
stress.
17

Flange Local Buckling (cont.)

Nominal Flexural Strength Mn

bf / 2t f p
plastic when
and
bf / 2t f
inelastic when p and
elastic when andbf / 2t f r

Mn M p
r

M p Mn Mr

Mn Mr

Mn
Mp
compact

noncompact

slender

Mr

bf
tf

18

Flange Local Buckling (cont.)

Noncompact Flange (straight line

interpolation)

Flexure Strength

pf
M n M p M p 0.7 Fy S x

pf
rf

(AISC F3-1)

19

Flange Local Buckling (cont.)

Slender Flange

Flexure Strength
0.9 Ekc S x
Mn
2
kc

(AISC F3-2)

4
h / tw

(kc shall not be less than 0.35 and not greater than 0.76)

Limit (AISC Table B4.1)

20

Web Local Buckling (WLB)

Compact or Noncompact Webs (AISC F4)

Failure Mode
Compact Web (Yielding)
Noncompact Web
Slender Web
Nominal Flexural Strength, Mn=min
(compression flange yielding, LTB,
compression FLB, tension flange yielding)
21

Web Local Buckling (cont.)

Failure Mode
The web of a beam
can also buckle
locally when the
bending stress in the
web exceeds the
critical stress.

22

Web Local Buckling (cont.)

Nominal Flexural Strength Mn

plastic when
inelastic when
elastic when and

Mn M p

and
p
pand
r

M p Mn Mr

Mn Mr

Mn
Mp
compact

noncompact

slender

Mr

h
tw
h

23

Web Local Buckling (cont.)

Compression Flange Yielding

Flexural Strength

M n R pc M yc R pc Fy S xc

(AISC F4-1)

where Rpc= web plasticification factor (AISC F4-9a,

b) & Fy= section yield stress

Limits (AISC Tables B4.1)

E
Lb Lp 1.1rt
Fy

24

Web Local Buckling (cont.)

LTB (Inelastic)

Lp Lb Lr

Flexure Strength

pf
M n Cb R pc M yc R pc M yc FL S xc

(AISC F4-12)
pf
rf

Mp

where FL= a stress determined by AISC F4-6a, b

25

Web Local Buckling (cont.)

LTB (Elastic)

Lb Lr

Flexure Strength
(AISC F4-3)M n Fcr S xc

R pc M yc

C E
J Lb
(AISC F4-5)

Fcr b 2 1 0.078
S x ho rt
Lb

r
t
2

Limit

(AISC Table B4.1)

E
L

1
.
95
r
t
(AISC F4-8) r
FL

J
F Sh
1 1 6.76 L x o
S x ho
E J

26

Web Local Buckling (cont.)

Compression FLB (Noncompact Flange)

Flexure Strength

Mn

pf
R pc M yc R pc M yc FL S xc

pf
rf

Mp

(AISC F4-12)

Compression FLB (Slender Flange)

Flexure Strength
0.9 Ekc S x
Mn
2
kc

(AISC F4-13)

4
h / tw

(kc shall not be less than 0.35 and not greater than 0.76)
27

Web Local Buckling (cont.)

Tension Flange YieldingS xt S xc

Flexure Strength

M n R pt M yt R pt Fy S xt

(AISC F4-14)

Rpt = web plastification factor to the tension flange yielding limit

(a) hc/tw pw
15a)
(b) hc/tw > pw
Mp Mp

15b)
R pt

M yt M yt

Rpt=Mp/Myt

pw
M

p

M yt
pw
rw

(AISC F4(AISC F4-

28

Shear Strength
Failure Mode
Shear-Buckling Coefficient
Elastic Shear Strength
Inelastic Shear Strength
Plastic Shear Strength
For shear vVn(v = 0.9 except certain
rolled I-beam h/tw2.24E/Fy, v = 1.0)
Vn=0.6FyAwCv
(AISC G2-1)

29

Shear Strength (cont.)

Failure Mode
The web of a beam
or plate girder
buckles when the
web shear stress
exceeds the critical
stress.

30

Shear Strength (cont.)

Nominal Shear Strength Vn (v = 0.9)

plastic when
inelastic when
elastic when and

p
and
and
r

0.8 y

cr

Vn
Vp

plastic

inelastic

elastic

Vr

31

Shear Strength (cont.)

AISC G2 Nominal Shear Strength Vn

(a)

For

k E
h
1.10 v
tw
Fyw

(a)

(a)

For

For

1.10

kv E
k E
h

1.37 v
Fy
tw
Fy

1.37

kv E
h

Fyw t w

(AISC G2-3)

Cv 1.0

1.10

Cv

kv E
h

Fy

(AISC G2-4)

tw

Cv

1.51Ek
v
2

(AISC G2-5)

h F
tw y
32

Lateral Bracing Design

33

Lateral Bracing Design

AISC Provisions Stability
Bracing Design for
Beams

1. For stiffness reqd,

reqd = 2 ideal

2. For nominal strength

Fbr,
(a) Fbr = ideal (20);
(b) Fbr = ideal (0.004Lb)
Where ideal = Pcr/Lb
34

Lateral Bracing Design

(cont.)
AISC Provisions LRFD Stability Bracing Design for
Beams
Prb

Re quired

1 4 M r Cd
rb
Lb h0

1. Relative bracing
=0.75

2. Nodal bracing

0.008M r Cd
h0

Re quired

Re quired

Re quired

Prb

0.02 M r Cd
h0

1 10M r Cd
br
Lb h0

35

Lateral Bracing Design

(cont.)
AISC Provisions LRFD Stability Bracing Design for
Columns
Re quired

Prb 0.004 Pr

Re quired

1 2 Pr

rb
Lb

1. Relative bracing
=0.75

2. Nodal bracing

Re quired

Re quired

Prb 0.01Pr
1 8 Pr
br
Lb

36