IntermediateTopic 57 of 112Civil & Structural
Steel beam and column design
Check bending, shear, lateral-torsional buckling and local buckling.
In depth
Beam checks: bending capacity with lateral-torsional buckling, shear, deflection and local buckling; columns: slenderness and buckling curves. Section classes (compact, non-compact, slender). Bracing increases capacity. Eurocode 3 and AISC give formulas.
Key points
- Effective length factor K
- Interaction equations
- Serviceability L/360
ExampleA UB 457×191 can span about 10 m for typical office loads.
Steel beams and columns can fail by yielding, buckling or local instability, so each failure mode must be checked.
What is Steel beam and column design?
Check bending, shear, lateral-torsional buckling and local buckling.
Why is it important to understand steel beam and column design?
Steel beams and columns can fail by yielding, buckling or local instability, so each failure mode must be checked.
What is lateral-torsional buckling?
A failure mode in which a deep beam twists and deflects sideways under bending, which is prevented by restraints or a stiffer section.
What is local buckling?
Buckling of a thin plate element, such as a flange or web, before the member reaches its overall capacity.
How is Steel beam and column design used in practice?
Typical applications include checking a steel beam for lateral-torsional buckling between restraints, designing a steel column for axial load and buckling and checking a web for local buckling under a concentrated load.
What should I learn before Steel beam and column design?
Study "Prestressed concrete" first (topic 56 of 112 in Civil & Structural). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Steel beam and column design?
Effective length factor K. Interaction equations. Serviceability L/360.
Can you give an example of Steel beam and column design?
A UB 457×191 can span about 10 m for typical office loads.
What comes after Steel beam and column design?
The next topic is "Steel connections", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Steel beam and column design?
It is classed as Intermediate in Civil & Structural (topic 57 of 112). It is an intermediate topic. Work through the beginner topics in Civil & Structural first.