Beam

Full lateral restrained beam

Full lateral restrained beam

Shear capacity of beam

Lateral unrestrained beam
 Vertical
deflection

Rotation Horizontal
deflection
 Elastic buckling
curve

Inelastic
buckling curve

Elastic buckling
curve

Inelastic
buckling curve

General form of the 2nd order Differential Equations

Assumptions
1. D.E. will be derived on the already deformed shape. Forces and
deformations are no longer independent and must be considered
together.
2. To simplify, we restrict ourselves to the relatively simple case as
shown in the figures which are:
Forces applied at the ends only.
Both ends are pinned.
Axial forces through centroid is compressive.
End moments are positive according to the right-hand rule.
Reactions are in the direction required to resist end moments.
3. Assume elastic behaviour and small deflections
 General form of the 2nd order Differential Equations

Assumptions
4. Include deformations.
5. Prismatic member, shape of the section does not change.
P
Rx MTY y

Ry
MTX x

L
z
Rx MBY y

Ry MBX
P x
 Elastic critical moment for LTB

where
C1 = factor to account for non-uniform moment case
E = elastic modulus (210000 MPa)
G = shear modulus (81 000 MPa)
Iz = second moment of inertia about z-axis
Iw = Wrapping parameter
IT = moment of inertia of torsion
Lcr = critical length of beam segment
 Correction to account for moment distribution between lateral restraints

P
M M

Lateral Restrain Lateral Restrain

M M

M M

Constant moment Other moment pattern

The most critical case Less critical case
Alterative method to account for effect of non-uniform moment to Mcr
 (from table)

C1 = 1.88 1.4 + 0.52 2

but C1 2.7

Effective length
(Ref.: Steel Building Design Concise Eurocodes, BCSA)
 1. Unequal end moments

1/ 2

M2 M1
Band of theoretical results
M1>M2

End moment ratio (M2/M1)

- - 1177
 2. Special loading cases

Effect of load position

Loading BMD Mmax A B

P PL / 4 1.35 1 - 0.180W2 + 0.649W

w wL2 / 8 1.12 1 0.154W2 + 0.535W

P P PL1 1 + (L1/(2L1+L2))2 1 0.465W2 + 1.636W

L1 L2 L1

where W = ( / L) (ECw / GJ)1/2

 Other support conditions

Lateral support at center. Restraint: Equal at both ends.

Loading Restraint A B

I 1.35 1 - 0.180W2 + 0.649W

P II 1.43 + 0.485W2+0.463W 1 - 0.317W2 + 0.649W
III 2.0 0.074W2 + 0.304W 1 - 0.207W2 + 1.047W
L IV 1.916 0.424W2 + 1.851W 1 - 0.466W2 + 0.923W
V 2.95 1.143W2 + 4.070W 1

I 1.13 1 - 0.154W2 + 0.535W

w II 1.2 + 0.416W2+0.402W 1 - 0.225W2 + 0.571W
III 1.9 0.120W2 + 0.006W 1 - 0.100W2 + 0.806W
L
IV 1.643 0.405W2 + 1.771W 1 - 0.339W2 + 0.625W
V 2.093 0.947W2 + 3.117W 1.073 + 0.044W

2
I 1
M M II 1+ 0.180W2 0.00967W
III 2 0.0797W 2 0.361W
L IV 2
V 2
Buckling capacity of continuous beams

Continuous beams

Elevation

Vertical deflected shape

Plan view with lateral supports

Laterally buckled shape

-side spans buckle first
-restraint from midspan and
inflection points from inside
span
 Continuous beams

Elevation

Vertical deflected shape

Plan view with lateral supports

Laterally buckled shape

Midspan buckles first and side
spans provide restraint.

Interaction buckling in continuous beams

1. Calculate Mu for each segment neglecting interaction.
2. Calculate = Mu / Mf for each segment. The segment with the lowest is the critical
segment with = c. The adjacent segments are the restraining members with
moment ratios r.
3. The stiffness of a restraining segment is given by

yr c
r
r r

where n=2 restraining segment continuous at far end

n=3 restraining segment pinned at far end
n=4 restraining segment fixed at far end

Note: when both segments buckle simultaneously r =0

Journal of the structural division, ASCE, Vol. 102, No. ST4, pp. 701-717
4. Stiffness of the critical segment is given by
yc
c
c

5. Calculate G = c / r for each end of segments.

6. Obtain the effective length factor from nomograph.
If failure is by inelastic buckling

yr ir c
r
r ur r

Linear relationship account for inelastic effect.

Check Mu and see is it elastic or inelastic.
 Equivalent Beam Method

Method is based on 4 concepts:

1. The entire beam buckles simultaneously interactively.
2. An equivalent uniform moment can be found for a beam subject to non-uniform
moments.
3. A beam of given moment resistance subject to non-uniform moment can be replaced
by a shorter beam of the same moment resistance but subject to uniform moment.
4. The effective lengths of all segments of a laterally continuous beam acted upon by
uniform moments must be the same.

-616

Equivalent Beam Method

Calculation procedures:
1. Calculate 2 for each beam segment.
2. Calculate the ultimate moment Mu.
3. Calculate an effective length for each segment

1/ 2
1/ 2
1/ 2 2
y u w
e 2
u y

4. Form an equivalent beam of length = Le for each segment

5. Divide the equivalent beam into n equal segments where n is the number segments
in the real beam
6. Calculate Mu for any segment using =1
7. Calculate Mi if necessary (the inelastic bending capacity)
Example

UB 304 x 101 x 28

Cw = 35.5 x 109 mm6

J = 75.7 x 103 mm4
Iy = 1.58 x 106 mm4
E = 205000 MPa
G = 79000 MPa
Fy = 516 MPa

Class 2 section
Mp = 220 kNm
 Nethercot and Trahair (1976)

1. From the following equation, the equivalent moment factors for the three
segments are

2. Ultimate moment capacities, assuming points of contraflexure at points

of lateral support, by the following equation, are

Nethercot and Trahair (1976)

3. Calculate the moment ratio by the following equation

Since 23 is the largest, segment 23 is the critical segment

4. Calculate the stiffnesses of restraining segments by the following

equation with n = 3
 Nethercot and Trahair (1976)

5. Calculate the stiffness of critical segments by the following equation

6. Calculate the stiffnesses ratios for ends 2 and 3 of critical segment by

the following equation

Nethercot and Trahair (1976)

7. Predict the effective length factor for critical segment 23 from the
nomograph

K = 0.89

8. Calculate the moment capacity of

segment 23 by the following equation
with KL = 0.89L