Lateral-Torsional Buckling of Stepped Beams
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 129, Issue 11
Abstract
Continuous multispan beams with stepped cross sections at the interior supports are common in construction of steel buildings and bridges. Design equations for lateral-torsional buckling (LTB) resistance in the American Institute of Steel Construction LRFD Specifications in 1998 account for only prismatic and web-tapered beams. A study of LTB capacity of stepped beams was performed and simple design equations are proposed. Finite-element method buckling analysis results for stepped beams under uniform moment were used to develop new design equations that account for the change in the cross section of stepped beams. Traditional moment gradient factors for prismatic beams were reviewed and were found to be sufficiently accurate for some stepped beam cases. A new moment gradient factor equation was developed from the finite-element analysis results and is proposed for the determination of the LTB resistance of stepped beams under general loading conditions.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (1998). LRFD bridge design specifications, 2nd Ed., Washington, D.C.
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). (1998). Load and resistance factor design, 2nd Ed., Chicago.
El-Mezaini, N., Balkaya, C., and Citipitioglu, E.(1991). “Analysis of frames with nonprismatic members.” J. Struct. Eng., 117(6), 1573–1592.
Fertis, D. G., and Keene, M. E.(1990). “Elastic and inelastic analysis of nonprismatic members.” J. Struct. Eng., 116(2), 475–489.
Gupta, P., Wang, S. T., and Blandford, G. E.(1996). “Lateral-torsional buckling of nonprismatic I-beams.” J. Struct. Eng., 122(7), 748–755.
Helwig, T. A., Frank, K. H., and Yura, J. A.(1997). “Lateral-torsional buckling of singly symmetric I-beams.” J. Struct. Eng., 123(9), 1172–1179.
MSC/NASTRAN. (1998). Quick reference guide (version 70.5), MacNeal-Schwindler Corporation, Los Angeles.
MSC/PATRAN. (2000). Introduction to MSC PATRAN (version 9.0), MacNeal-Schwindler Corporation, Los Angeles.
Park, J. S. (2002). “Lateral torsional buckling of beams with top flange bracing.” PhD dissertation, Auburn Univ., Auburn, Ala.
Timoshenko, S., and Gere, J. (1961). Theory of elastic stability, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Trahair, N. S. (1993). Flexural-torsional buckling of structures, CRC, Boca Raton, Fla.
Trahair, N. S., and Kitipornchai, S.(1971). “Elastic lateral buckling of stepped I-beams.” J. Struct. Div. ASCE, 97(10), 2535–2548.
Yura, J. A. (1993). “Fundamental of beam bracing.” Proc., Annual Conf. of “Is Your Structure Suitably Braced?”, Structural Steel Research Council, Milwaukee, Wis., April.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 10, 2002
Accepted: Jan 2, 2003
Published online: Oct 15, 2003
Published in print: Nov 2003
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.