Beams

Beams:-
 Beams are structural members with length larger than cross sectional dimensions subjected to lateral
loads which give rise to bending moment and shear force in the member.
 Based on lateral supports to compression flange there are two types of beams
a. Laterally supported beams
b. Laterally unsupported beams.

Q. Why laterally supported beams are always preferred.

1. Thin projecting flange is susceptible to bucking under compression.
2. In laterally supported beams flange are restrained from buckling.
We can support the beam laterally in many ways as follows:
1. Embedded compression flange in the floor.
2. Connection of compression flange to the floor with the help of shear connectors.

 Differentiate between Laterally Supported Beam and Laterally Unsupported Beam.

Laterally supported Beams Laterally Unsupported Beams
1. In Laterally supported beams compression 1. In Laterally unsupported beams compression
flanges are embedded in concrete. flanges are not embedded in concrete.
2. Compression flange of beam is restrained
2. Compression flange of beam is free for rotation
against rotation
3. Lateral Deflection of compression flange does 3. Lateral Deflection of Compression flange is
not occur occurring.

4. 4.

How beams are classified for bending as per IS 800-2007 Describe.

 Classification of Beams:
a. Plastic or Class I b. Compact or Class II C. Semi Compact or Class III. D. Slender or Class IV.
1. Plastic or Class I:-
a. Cross section which can develop plastic hinge, sustain large rotation capacity required to develop
plastic mechanism are called as plastic section.
b. These sections are unaffected by local buckling and are able to develop their full plastic moment
capacities until a collapse mechanism is formed.
2. Compact or Class II:-
a. In the compact section full cross section forms first plastic hinge but local bucking prevents
subsequent redistribution.
b. These sections develop full plastic moment capacities but fail by local buckling due to inadequate
plastic hinge rotation capacity.
3. Semi Compact Section or Class III:-
a. In Semi compact section the extreme fibers reaches the yield stress but cannot develop the plastic
moment of resistance due to local buckling.

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4. Slender or Class IV :-
a. The cross sections of the elements of which buckle locally even before reaching yield stress belong
to this category.

 Web Buckling:-
1. Certain portion of beam at supports acts as column to transfer the load from beam to the supports.
2. Hence under this compressive force the web may buckle.
3. This may happen under a concentrated load on the beam also.
4. The load dispersion angle may be taken as 45º.
5. Hence there is need to check for web buckling is avoided.
6. In case of built up sections it is necessary to check for buckling of web and provided web stiffeners.

 Web Crippling:-
1. Near the supports web of the beam may cripple due to lack of bearing capacity.
2. The crippling occurs at the roots of the radius

( )

Fw = Web Buckling, b1 = Stiff Bearing Length, n2 = length obtained by dispersion through the flange
to web junction at a slope 1:2.5 to the plane of the flange, fyw = yield stress of web.
3. In Design Fw > Load transferred by bearing.
4. The care is taken in fixing web thickness of rolled steel sections to avoid failure.
5. Hence if rolled sections are selected as a beam section there is no need to check for this failure.
6. However when built up sections are selected the web should be checked for this local failure.

 Design Steps for Laterally Supported Beams:-

1. The service loads are multiplied with the load factor ℽf to determine the factored load.
2. Determine maximum factored shear force “V” and Bending Moment “M” for a given loading and
support condition.
3. A trial Plastic section modulus for beam is calculated take βb = 1 for Plastic
and compact section
4. Consider suitable section having (Zp Provided > Zp required) generally choose ISLB, ISMB, ISWB.
5. Classification of section is checked and it is classified as plastic, compact, semicompact depending
upon the specific limits of b/tf and d/tw
6. The trial section is checked for shear
Calculate the design shear strength

√
7. The beam is checked for low shear i

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For low shear Vd > V then

Md = design bending strength, M=design bending moment

8. Calculate actual deflection and limiting deflection

βb = 1 for plastic and compact section

βb = (Ze / Zp) for semi compact section
Ze , Zp = elastic and plastic section modulus of the cross section
fy = yield stress of material
ℽmo = 1.1 partial factor of safety

 Differentiate between bending and buckling of beam

1. Beam is a structural member subjected to loads transverse to its longitudinal axis.
2. Under loading the beam deflects in the vertical plane and is characterized as bending of beam.
3. In the process of bending one of the beams flange or its parts will be in compression depending upon
the support condition for the beam.
4. Since the flange will be in compression it will buckle depending upon its slenderness ratio.
5. Due to this beam bend as well as buckle.

 How does buckling of column and beam differ?

1. The columns are subjected to flexural buckling only.
2. Compression flange of beam is subjected to flexural buckling as well as torsion.
3. The longitudinal axis of the beam displaces and consequently the beam is subjected to lateral torsional
buckling.

 How column buckling and lateral buckling of beam are similar.

Axially loaded columns as well as beams are subjected to buckling and shows almost similar failure
characteristics due to buckling in following manner:-
1. A simple laterally supported beams of short span subjected to transverse load deflects vertically in
the direction of applied load. The behavior is similar to a short column under axial compression
which is subjected to axial shortening.
2. A long span beam will first deflect vertically and when the load exceeds a particular value it tilts
sideway due to instability of compression flange and will rotate about its longitudinal axis. The
mid-section of beam undergoes lateral torsional buckling.

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3. An axially loaded column is subjected to flexural buckling which is characterized by sideway
deflection of column. While the lateral buckling of beam is 3 dimensional in nature in the sense
that along with lateral deflection it twist as well.
4. Similar to column the lateral buckling of unstrained beam is also a function of its slenderness.

 Why should plastic or compact section be preferred for flexural members in the limit state
design method?
1. Only plastic section should be used for indeterminate beams to take advantages of successive
formation of plastic hinges. The simple beams fails after deformation of only one plastic hinge and
compact section can be used. Hence only plastic or compact section should be used.

Shear Lag effect:

1. The shear strain influences the bending stress in the flange and causes section to wrap.
2. This consequently modifies the bending stress determine by the application of simple bending theory
and results in higher stress near the junction of web to flange elements with the stress dropping as the
distance from the beam web increases.
3. The resultant stress decreases across the flange if therefore is non-uniform, this phenomenon is
known as shear lag.
4. Shear lag effect depends upon width to span ratio, beam restrains, and type of load.
5. Point load causes more shear lag effect than uniformly distributed load.

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