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
2
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)
3
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
b
M
n
(
b
= 0.9)
4
Design of Members for Flexure
(about Major Axis)
5
Lateral Torsional Buckling (LTB)
Compact Members (AISC F2)
Failure Mode
Plastic LTB (Yielding)
Inelastic LTB
Elastic LTB
Moment Gradient Factor C
b
6
Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Failure Mode
A beam can buckle in a
lateral-torsional mode
when the bending
moment exceeds the
critical moment.
7
Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Nominal Flexural Strength M
n
plastic when and
inelastic when and
elastic when and
p b
L L s
p n
M M =
r b p
L L L s <
r n p
M M M > >
r b
L L >
r n
M M <
inelastic plastic elastic
1.0 C
b
=
n
M
r
M
p
M
p
L
b
L
r
L
8
Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
I-Beam
in a
Buckled
Position
9
Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Elastic LTB
coupled differential equations for rotation and lateral
translation (8.5.10)
where
M
z
= moment at location z along member axis
z = axis along member length
= angle of twist
G = shear modulus
J = torsional constant (AISC Table 1-1 for torsional prop.)
E = modulus of elasticity
C
w
= warping constant (AISC Table 1-1 for warping)
3
3
dz
d
EC
dz
d
GJ M
w z
|

|
=
10
Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Plastic LTB (Yielding)
Flexural Strength (AISC F2-1)
where Z= plastic section modulus & F
y
= section yield stress
Limits
Lateral bracing limit
(AISC F2-5)
Flange and Web width/thickness limit (AISC Table B4.1)
(Note: L
pd
in Salmon & Johnson Eq. (9.6.2) is removed from AISC 13
th
Ed.)
Z F M M
y p n
= =
y
y p b
F
E
r L L 76 . 1 = <
11
Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Inelastic LTB
Flexure Strength (straight line interpolation)
(9.6.4)
or
(AISC F2-2)
( )
p
p r
p b
r p p b n
M
L L
L L
M M M C M s
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

=
( )
p
p r
p b
x y p p b n
M
L L
L L
S F M M C M s
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

= 7 . 0
r b p
L L L s <
12
Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Elastic LTB
Flexure Strength
(AISC F2-3)
(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 (AISC F2-6)
(AISC F2-7)
p x cr n
M S F M s =
2
7 . 0
76 . 6 1 1
7 . 0
95 . 1
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + =
J c
h S
E
F
h S
J c
F
E
r L
o x y
o x y
ts r
x
w y
ts
S
C I
r =
2
2
2
2
078 . 0 1
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
ts
b
o x
ts
b
b
cr
r
L
h S
J c
r
L
E C
F
t
r b
L L >
13
Lateral Torsional Buckling (cont.)
Moment Gradient Factor C
b
The moment gradient factor C
b
accounts for the variation
of moment along the beam length between bracing
points. Its value is highest, C
b
=1, when the moment
diagram is uniform between adjacent bracing points.
When the moment diagram is not uniform
(9.6.3)
(AISC F1-1)
where
M
max
= absolute value of maximum moment in unbraced length
M
A
, M
B
, M
C
= absolute moment values at one-quarter, one-half, and
three-quarter points of unbraced length
C B A
b
M M M M
M
C
3 4 3 5 . 2
5 . 12
max
max
+ + +
=
14
C
b
for a Simple Span Bridge
15
Nominal Moment Strength M
u
as
affected by C
b
16
Flange Local Buckling (FLB)
Compact Web and Noncompact/Slender
Flanges (AISC F3)
Failure Mode
Noncompact Flange
Slender Flange
Nominal Flexural strength, M
n
= Min (F2, F3)
17
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.
18
Flange Local Buckling (cont.)
Nominal Flexural Strength M
n
plastic when and
inelastic when and
elastic when and
p n
M M =
r n p
M M M > >
r n
M M <
p f
f t b s 2 /
r f
f
p
t b s s 2 /
r f
f t b > 2 /
noncompact compact slender
n
M
r
M
p
M
p
f
f
t
b
=
r

19
Flange Local Buckling (cont.)
Noncompact Flange (straight line
interpolation)
Flexure Strength
(AISC F3-1)
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
pf rf
pf
x y p p n
S F M M M


7 . 0
20
Flange Local Buckling (cont.)
Slender Flange
Flexure Strength
(AISC F3-2)
(kc shall not be less than 0.35 and not greater than 0.76)
Limit (AISC Table B4.1)
2
9 . 0

x c
n
S Ek
M =
w
c
t h
k
/
4
=
21
Web Local Buckling (WLB)
Compact or Noncompact Webs (AISC F4)
Failure Mode
Compact Web (Yielding)
Noncompact Web
Slender Web
Nominal Flexural Strength, M
n
=min (compression
flange yielding, LTB, compression FLB, tension
flange yielding)
22
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.
23
Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Nominal Flexural Strength M
n
plastic when and
inelastic when and
elastic when and
p n
M M =
r n p
M M M > >
r n
M M <
p
s
r p
s <
r
>
noncompact compact slender
n
M
r
M
p
M
p
w
t
h
=
r

24
Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Compression Flange Yielding
Flexural Strength
(AISC F4-1)
where R
pc
= web plasticification factor (AISC F4-9a, b) &
F
y
= section yield stress
Limits (AISC Tables B4.1)
xc y pc yc pc n
S F R M R M = =
y
t p b
F
E
r L L 1 . 1 = <
25
Web Local Buckling (cont.)
LTB (Inelastic)
Flexure Strength
(AISC F4-12)
where F
L
= a stress determined by AISC F4-6a, b
( )
p
pf rf
pf
xc L yc pc yc pc b n
M S F M R M R C M s
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

=


r b p
L L L s <
26
Web Local Buckling (cont.)
LTB (Elastic)
Flexure Strength
(AISC F4-3)
(AISC F4-5)
Limit (AISC Table B4.1)
(AISC F4-8)
yc pc xc cr n
M R S F M s =
2
2
2
078 . 0 1
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
t
b
o x
t
b
b
cr
r
L
h S
J
r
L
E C
F
t
2
76 . 6 1 1 95 . 1
|
.
|

\
|
+ + =
J
h S
E
F
h S
J
F
E
r L
o x L
o x L
t r
r b
L L >
27
Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Compression FLB (Noncompact Flange)
Flexure Strength
(AISC F4-12)
Compression FLB (Slender Flange)
Flexure Strength
(AISC F4-13)
(k
c
shall not be less than 0.35 and not greater than 0.76)
( )
p
pf rf
pf
xc L yc pc yc pc n
M S F M R M R M s
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

=


2
9 . 0

x c
n
S Ek
M =
w
c
t h
k
/
4
=
28
Web Local Buckling (cont.)
Tension Flange Yielding
Flexure Strength
(AISC F4-14)
R
pt
= web plastification factor to the tension flange yielding limit
xt y pt yt pt n
S F R M R M = =
xc xt
S S <
(a) h
c
/t
w

pw
R
pt
=M
p
/M
yt
(AISC F4-15a)
(b) h
c
/t
w
>
pw
(AISC F4-15b)
yt
p
pw rw
pw
yt
p
yt
p
pt
M
M
M
M
M
M
R s
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

|
|
.
|

\
|
=


1
29
Shear Strength
Failure Mode
Shear-Buckling Coefficient
Elastic Shear Strength
Inelastic Shear Strength
Plastic Shear Strength
For shear
v
V
n
(
v
= 0.9 except certain rolled I-
beam h/t
w
2.24E/F
y
,
v
= 1.0)
V
n
=0.6F
y
A
w
C
v
(AISC G2-1)
30
Shear Strength (cont.)
Failure Mode
The web of a beam or
plate girder buckles
when the web shear
stress exceeds the
critical stress.
31
Shear Strength (cont.)
Nominal Shear Strength V
n
(
v
= 0.9)
plastic when and
inelastic when and
elastic when and
r
>
y
t = t
r
s
y t = t 8 . 0
p
s
cr
t = t
inelastic plastic elastic
n
V
r
V
p
V
p

r
>
32
Shear Strength (cont.)
AISC G2 Nominal Shear Strength V
n
(a) For (AISC G2-3)
(a) For (AISC G2-4)
(a) For (AISC G2-5)
yw
v
w
F
E k
t
h
10 . 1 s
y
v
w y
v
F
E k
t
h
F
E k
37 . 1 10 . 1 s s
(
(
(
(

=
w
y
v
v
t
h
F
E k
C
10 . 1
w yw
v
t
h
F
E k
s 37 . 1
(
(
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
=
y
w
v
v
F
t
h
Ek
C
2
51 . 1
0 . 1 =
v
C
33
Lateral Bracing Design
34
Lateral Bracing Design
AISC Provisions Stability
Bracing Design for Beams
1. For stiffness
reqd
,

reqd
= 2
ideal
2. For nominal strength F
br
,
(a) F
br
=
ideal
(2
0
);
(b) F
br
=
ideal
(0.004L
b
)
Where
ideal
= P
cr
/L
b
35
Lateral Bracing Design (cont.)
AISC Provisions LRFD Stability Bracing Design for Beams
1. Relative bracing
=0.75
2. Nodal bracing
0
008 . 0
Re
h
C M
P quired
d r
rb
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
0
4 1
Re
h L
C M
quired
b
d r
rb
|
|
0
02 . 0
Re
h
C M
P quired
d r
rb
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
0
10 1
Re
h L
C M
quired
b
d r
br
|
|
36
Lateral Bracing Design (cont.)
AISC Provisions LRFD Stability Bracing Design for Columns
1. Relative bracing
=0.75
2. Nodal bracing
r rb
P P quired 004 . 0 Re =
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
b
r
rb
L
P
quired
2 1
Re
|
|
r rb
P P quired 01 . 0 Re =
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
b
r
br
L
P
quired
8 1
Re
|
|