STRUCTURAL STEEL

DESIGN
SYLLABUS
1. General Details about steel structures

USING THE PITCHBOOK TEMPLATE

2. Design of axially loaded tension members
3. Design of axially loaded compression members
4. Design of tension members subjected to moments
5. Design of compression members subjected to moments
6. Design of beams
7. Design of steel frames
8. Design of welded and bolted connections

PROJECTS
1. Design of a Roof Truss
2. Design of a beam member
3. Design of a column subjected to bi-axial bending.
GENERAL DETAILS ABOUT STEEL STRUCTURES
WHAT IS A STRUCTURE?

A Structure is a system for transferring

loads from one place to another.

The human
skeleton is a
structure which
maintains the
shape of the body,
keeps the various
organs and
muscles in the The spider’s web is a good example
right place and of a tension structure. The weight
transmits of the spider and its prey is
loads down to the supported by tensile strength of
ground the web
WHAT IS A STRUCTURE?

In the case of
building structures
this often means
transferring the load
of people, furniture,
the wind etc. and the
self weight of the
building safely down
to the foundations
and hence into the
ground.
WHAT IS STEEL?

Steel is an alloy in which iron is mixed with carbon and other elements.

An Alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least

one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic
properties.

An Alloy usually has different properties (sometimes significantly

different) from those of its components.

Structural Steel 98% Iron + Alloying Elements

(Carbon, Silicon,
Manganese etc.)
TYPES OF STEEL AND STRENGTH (BS 5950)
STEEL GRADE THICKNESS (mm) STRENGTH (N/mm2)

S275 16 275
40 265
63 255

S355 16 355
40 345
63 335

S460 16 460
40 440
63 430
PROPERTIES OF STEEL

Fatigue

Fatigue failure can occur in members or structures subjected to

fluctuating loads such as crane girders, bridges and offshore
structures.
Failure occurs through initiation and propagation of a crack that
starts at a fault or structural discontinuity and the failure load may
be well below its static value.
Welded connections have the greatest effect on the fatigue
strength of steel structures.
To help avoid fatigue failure, detail should be such that stress
concentrations and abrupt changes of section are avoided in
regions of tensile stress.
PROPERTIES OF STEEL

Brittle fracture
Structural steel is ductile at temperatures above 10◦C but it
becomes more brittle as the temperature falls, and fracture can
occur at low stresses below 0◦C.
In design, brittle fracture should be avoided by using steel quality
grade with adequate impact toughness.

In addition to taking care in the selection of steel grade to be used,

it is also necessary to pay special attention to the design details to
reduce the likelihood of brittle fracture.
Thin plates are more resistant than thick ones. Abrupt changes of
section and stress concentration should be avoided. Fillets welds
should not be laid down across tension flanges and intermittent
welding should not be used.
PROPERTIES OF STEEL
Fire protection

Structural steelwork performs badly in fires, with the strength decreasing with
increase in temperature. At 550◦C, the yield stress has fallen to approximately
0.7 of its value at normal temperatures; that is, it has reached its working stress
and failure occurs under working loads.

Fire protection can be provided by encasing the member in concrete, fire board
or cementitious fibre materials. The main types of fire protection for columns
and beams are shown below. More recently, intumescent paint is being used
especially for exposed steelwork.
All multi-storey steel buildings require fire protection. Single-storey factory
buildings normally do not require fire protection for the steel frame.
PROPERTIES OF STEEL

Corrosion protection

Exposed steelwork can be severely affected by corrosion in the

atmosphere, particularly if pollutants are present, and it is necessary to
provide surface protection in all cases. The type of protection depends on
the surface conditions and length of life required.

The main types of protective coatings are:

(1) Metallic coatings: Either a sprayed-on in line coating of aluminium or

zinc is used or the member is coated by hot-dipping it in a bath of molten
zinc in the galvanizing process.

(2) Painting: where various systems are used. One common system
consists of using a primer of zinc chromate followed by finishing coats of
micaceous iron oxide. Plastic and bituminous paints are used in special
cases.
PROPERTIES OF STEEL

MODULUS OF ELASTICITY ( E ) 205000 N/mm2

POISSON’S RATIO 0.3
COEFFICIENT OF LINEAR THERMAL EXPANSION 12 X 10-6/C

TYPES OF STEEL SECTIONS

• Hot-Rolled Sections.
Steel Structural • Cold Formed Sections.
Sections
• Built-Up Sections.

• Compound Sections
Hot-Rolled Sections

Hot Rolled Sections are produced in steel mills from steel blooms,
beam blanks or coils by passing through series of rollers
Hot-Rolled Sections

Universal Beams - Used to resist bending moments about the major axis

Universal Columns – Resist Axial load, high radius of gyration about the
minor axis to prevent buckling

Channels – Used for beams, truss members and bracing

Equal / Unequal Angle – Used for bracings, trusses, purlins and sheet rails

Structural Tees – Produced by cutting universal beams / columns, used for

truss members, ties and beams

Circular, Square and Rectangular Hollow Sections – Produced from hot

rolled coils, efficient compression members
Cold Formed Sections

Thin steel plates are formed into a wide range of sections

by cold rolling. Mainly used for purlins, side and sheeting
rails.

(a) Channels (b) Zees (c) I-shaped double channels

(d) Angles (e) Hat sections

Built-Up Sections

Made by welding plates together

Built-up (Beam) shapes.

Built-up (C) Channels.

Built-up (L) Angles.

Compound Sections

Made

1. Strengthening a rolled
section by welding

2. Combining two
separate rolled
sections

3. Connecting two
members
Types of steel structures

BUILDING FRAMES
Types of steel structures

Truss

T
C C

T
Forces in Truss Members
Types of steel structures

BRIDGE TRUSSES
Types of steel structures

Frame
Types of steel structures

BRACED FRAMES
Types of steel structures

STEEL ARCHES
Types of steel structures

DOMES
WHAT IS DESIGN?

The word “Design” can be used in two different ways.

1. The whole creative process of finding a safe and

efficient solution to an engineering problem.

2. Design: process of determining location, material, and

size of structural elements to resist forces acting in a
structure
Engineering Design Process

DEFINE PROBLEM

SITE SURVEY AND INVESTIGATION

INVESTIGATE ALTERNATIVES

DETAILED DEVELOPMENT

ASSESS LOADS

ANALYSE

ELEMENT DESIGN AND DETAIL DESIGN

Design Philosophies

There are two philosophies:

1. Permissible Stress Design (Allowable Stress

Design)

2. Limit State Design

Permissible Stress Design

Based on the maximum stress value that the

material can withstand

Allowable Stress = Yield Stress

Factor of Safety

It has now largely been replaced by the limit state

design
Limit State Design

Developed in 1970s and has been extensively used.

It is the point at which the structure is unacceptable and

unfit for use.

To ensure that a structure has an acceptable probability of

not reaching a limit state throughout its life. In general two
limit states are considered at the design stage.

(a) Ultimate Limit State

(b) Serviceability Limit State

Loads Acting in Structures

Types of loads that must be considered

1. Dead Loads

2. Imposed Loads

3. Wind Loads

4. Dynamic Loads
Loads Acting in Structures

1. Dead Loads

Loads on a structure which are permanent and stationary, self

weight of the structure. (BS 6399 – Part 1) and permanent non
structural elements

(a) Floor finishes

(b) Ceilings
(c) Service pipes
(d) Light fittings etc. (AC plant and lift machinery)
Loads Acting in Structures

2. Imposed Loads

Imposed loads (or live loads) are those movable loads which act
on a structure during the time of use. (BS 6399 – Part 1)

(a) People
(b) Furniture
(c) Vehicles
(d) Machinery
(e) Snow etc.
Loads Acting in Structures

3. Wind Loads

Wind loads cause structural failures. Structures must be designed

to resist horizontal forces and uplift. The wind loads depend on
the location, topography and building size. (BS 6399 – Part 2)

4. Dynamic Loads

These are caused by cranes, earthquakes or moving machinery

Forces Acting in Structures

Vertical: Gravity Lateral: Wind, Earthquake

Global Stability

Sliding Overturning
Forces in Structural Elements

100

kN

100

kN

Tension Compression
Forces in Structural Elements

100

kN

Bending

Torsion
Moment (Rotational) Equilibrium
100kg 50kg

Moment of Force = Force x Distance

To neutralize rotation about point A, moments from the two

forces has to be equal and opposite:

100 kg x 3 m = 50 kg x 6 m
150kg

3m 6m
Structural Analysis

Any of the following methods of structural analysis may be used to determine the design forces and moments

(i) Elastic Analysis

(ii) Plastic Analysis

(iii) Advanced Analysis

(iv) Dynamic Analysis

Types of Supports

Fixed

A fixed support can resist vertical and horizontal forces as well as a rotational moment

Pinned

A pinned support can resist vertical and horizontal forces but not a moment

Roller

A roller support can provide only a single reaction force which is always perpendicular to the axis of the

roller
Definition of Stress

Stress = Force/Area

Section X
Example (SI Units):

Force = 4.448 KN (Newton)

Section X Area = 6450 mm2

Stress = 4448/6450

= 0.69 N/mm2 (MPa)

T
Definition of Strain

Strain = DL / Lo

DL
Example:

Lo = 10 m

DL = 0.12 m

Lo Strain = 0.12 / 10 = 0.012 m/m

Strain is dimensionless!!

(same in English or SI units)

T
EXAMPLE 01

The uniform beam has a mass of 50 kg per meter of

length. Determine the reactions at the supports.
EXAMPLE 02

Calculate the force and moment reactions at the bolted base O of

the overhead traffic-signal assembly. Each traffic signal has a mass of
36 kg, while the masses of members OC and AC are 50 kg and 55 kg,
respectively. The mass center of member AC is at G.
EXAMPLE 03

The floor in a multi-storey office building consists of the following:

Vinyl tiles
40mm sand/cement screed
125mm reinforced concrete slab
(Density of Concrete 24kN/m3)
Acoustic tile suspended ceiling

Determine the dead in kN/m2

Material Unit Weight in kN/m2

Acoustic ceiling tiles 0.1
Vinyl tiles 0.05
Sand / Cement Screed (25mm) 0.6
EXAMPLE 04

The average weight of a person can be assumed to be 80 kg.

An auditorium floor has to be designed for a load of 5 kN/m2.

Calculate how many people can stand on one square meter of the
said floor.
INTRODUCTION TO BS 5950 (2000)

BS 5950[1] is a Standard combining codes of practice covering the design,

construction and fire protection of steel structures and specifications for
materials, workmanship and erection. It comprises the following parts:

• Part 1: Code of practice for design

• Part 2: Specification for materials, fabrication and erection
• Part 3: Design in composite construction
• Part 4: Code of practice for design of composite slabs with profiled sheeting
• Part 5: Code of practice for design of cold-formed thin gauge sections
• Part 6: Code of practice for design of light gauge profiled steel sheeting
• Part 7: Specification for materials, fabrication and erection
• Part 8: Code of practice for fire resistant design
• Part 9: Code of practice for stressed skin design.
Scope of BS 5950-1:2000

BS 5950-1 [1] is intended for the design of structural steelwork

using hot rolled sections, flats plates, hot-finished and cold-
formed structural hollow sections.

It is intended primarily for building structures and other

structures not specifically covered by other standards. The
recommendations assume that the standards of construction are
as specified in BS 5950-2[1].
Limit states

BS 5950-1 [1] considers two classes of limit states. The ultimate

limit state (i.e. the point beyond which the structure would be
unsafe) and the serviceability limit state (i.e. the point beyond
which the specified service criteria are no longer met). The
principal limit states covered in BS 5950-1 are shown in Table