Western Philippines University

College of Engineering and Technology

Civil Engineering Department
STRUCTURAL STEEL DESIGN
By Dr. Cesario A. Bacosa , Jr.
Module 1. Introduction to Structural Steel Design.
Structural Design
Mixture of art and science
Intuitive feeling for the behavior of the structure
Sound knowledge of statics, dynamics, materials, structural analysis
Produce a safe and economical design
Follows governing codes
Criteria for optimum design
Minimum material cost
Minimum weight
Minimum construction time
Minimum labor cost
minimum cost of manufacture of owners products
maximum efficiency of operation to owner
Design Procedure
A. Functional design
1) adequate working areas and clearances
2) proper ventilation and/or air conditioning
3) transportation facilities (stairs, elevators, cranes)
4) adequate lighting
5) aesthetics
B. Structural framework design: Iterative procedure
1) Planning setting the criteria for optimum design
2) Preliminary structural configuration efficient load transfer, redundancy
3) Establishment of the loads to be carried
4) Preliminary member selection
5) Structural analysis load combinations, internal forces, displacements
6) Evaluation check against strength and serviceability requirements
7) Redesign repetition of steps 1-6 or steps 3-6
8) Final decision optimum design has been achieved
Loads estimate magnitude and distribution with certain assumptions and approximations
Dead load fixed position gravity loads (weight of structure, attachments)
Live load occupancy loads, moving loads, soil pressures, blast loads, thermal forces, etc
Highway live load axle loads, lane loading
Impact load dynamic effect of suddenly applied live loads
Snow load live loading for roofs
Wind load more that 3 stories high, light structures, long bridges
Seismic load base shear, storey forces
Advantages of steel as a structural material:
High strength load carrying capacity

Uniformity properties do not change appreciably over time

Elasticity-follows Hookes law up to fairly high stresses
Permanence-will last indefinitely
Ductility-ability to deform significantly without failure
Toughness-strength and ductility
Geometric flexibility-addition to existing structures
Miscellaneous
can be fastened together by simple connections
adaptation to prefabrication
speed of construction
can be rolled into various sizes and shapes

Disadvantages of steel as a structural material:

Maintenance costs
Fireproofing costs
Susceptibility to buckling
Fatigue
Brittle failure
Steel Structures
Framed structures multi-storey buildings, industrial buildings, churches, arenas, bridges. Roof system
may be a series of plane trusses, a space trusses, a dome, flat or gabled rigid frames.
Shell-type structures containment vessel to store liquids, storage bins, tanks, hulls of ships, aircraft body.
Designed by specialists
Suspension-type structures tension cables are the major supporting elements as in suspension bridges
Stress-strain relationships in structural steel

4
2

1-proportional limit
2-elastic limit
3-yield strength

Structural steel
Plain carbon steel (ASTM A36) - commonly known as mild steel, with 1% carbon, mostly consists of iron
and carbon. more carbon content makes steel more brittle or less ductile.
Low-alloy steel (ASTM A572 Grade 50) - composed of iron and 5% carbon, plus other components that
primarily increase the strength but at the expense of reduction in ductility.
High-alloy steel (ASTM A992) - similar components as of low-alloy steel, but of higher amount of other
components. They are higher in strength than plain carbon and corrosive resistant.
Standard cross-sectional shapes
Hot-rolled - molten steel is taken from the furnace and poured into a continuous casting system. Hotrolling allows the material to deform without loss in ductility.
Cold-formed - created by bending thin material such as sheet steel or plate into desired shape without
heating.
The work of the structural engineer

Arranges and proportions structures and their parts

Studies possible structural forms that can be used
Determine loading conditions
Analyzes stresses and deflection
Design of structural members
Prepares the design drawings and specifications

Responsibilities of the structural engineer

Safety support loads without excessive deflection/vibration
Cost lower cost without sacrificing strength
Practicality structure can be built without great problem
Economical design of steel members
Materials costs vs. labor costs
Open communications between designers, fabricators, erectors, etc.
Select steel sections which are easily rolled
Consider uniformity of sizes
Consider overall building height in selection depth of members
Select beam spacing to reduce number of members to be fabricated
Paint should be applied only if required
Repeating section to reduce detailing, fabrication, and erection costs
Consider transportation cost and related problems for large sections
Easy maintenance/accessibility
Consider aesthetic appearance of structure
Failures of Structures
Insufficient attention to details (connections, splicing, cut-off locations, embedment, etc)
Omit to estimate deflections
Installation problems
Foundation settlement
Improper use
Failure to consider forces such as twisting in connections, bending in truss members
Insufficient bearing or anchorage
Inadequate provision for drainage on roof
Fatigue of members
Inadequate bracing system
Calculation Accuracy
Structural design is not an exact science
Fictitious sense of precision
Use of computers in structural steel design
Increase computational efficiency
Reduce the engineers feel for the structure
Specifications, Loads, and Methods of Design
Building codes
Has a force of law and is administered by a government entity
Contains requirements related to structural safety, fire safety, plumbing, ventilation and accessibility.
They do not specify design procedures, but they do specify design requirements and constraints.
Uniform building code (UBC), 1997 - Formed by the international conference of building officials. The
only one used in the western part of United States.
Standard building code (SBC), 1999 - Has been used in the southeastern United States.

Boca national building code (BOCA), 1999 - Building officials and code administrators has been used in
the northeastern United States.
National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) used in the Philippines

Design specifications
Present more specific guidelines and criteria in the design of structural members and their connections to
achieve the objectives mandated by a building code.
Based on the latest research and are periodically revised or updated thru the issuance of supplements or
completely new editions.
Governing bodies
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-way Association (AREMA)
American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
American Welding Society (AWS)
Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP)
Design philosophies
Allowable Stress Design (ASD) - A section is selected based on either area or moment of inertia large
enough to prevent the maximum stress from exceeding the allowable stress, i.e. Ft = 0.60Fy.
Plastic design - based on the consideration of failure conditions rather than working load conditions. A
member is selected based on the criterion that the structure fail at a load much larger than the working or
service load.
Load and resistance factor design (LRFD) - Similar to plastic design, where factored loads are applied. A
member is selected using the factored loads, but factored strength are reduced to usable strength by
applying a resistance factor.