COMPUTERS AND STRUCTURES, INC.

, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA DECEMBER 2001

COMPOSITE BEAM DESIGN AISC-ASD89

Technical Note

Allowable Bending Stresses

General
This Technical Note describes how the program determines the allowable
bending stresses using the AISC-ASD89 specification for composite beams.
The methodologies for determining the allowable bending stress for both the
steel beam alone and the composite beam are described.
Important note concerning cover plates: This section describes how the
allowable bending stresses are determined for steel beams. When a cover
plate is present, the program determines the allowable stresses for the beam
as if the cover plate were not present, except as noted in Note 3 for Table 1.
Based on the allowable bending stress at the bottom of the beam bottom
flange, Fb-bbf, which the program determines as described in this Technical
Note, the allowable bending stress at the bottom of the cover plate, Fb-bcp is
taken as shown in Equation 1.

Fy cp
Fb-bcp = Fb bbf
Fy

Eqn. 1

where,

General

Fb-bbf

= Allowable bending stress at the bottom of the beam

bottom flange, ksi.

Fb-bcp

= Allowable bending stress at the bottom of the cover

plate, ksi.

Fy

= Yield stress of beam, ksi.

Fycp

= Yield stress of cover plate, ksi.

Page 1 of 7

Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89

Allowable Bending Stresses

Allowable Bending Stress for Steel Beam Alone

This section documents the allowable bending stresses that the program uses
when the steel beam alone (noncomposite) resists the bending. Allowable
bending stresses are provided for both compression and tension.
Note:
Allowable stresses for composite beams are described in the section entitled Allowable
Bending Stresses for Positive Bending in the Composite Beam later in this Technical
Note.
The allowable bending stress for the steel beam alone depends on the type of
beam section, whether the compression flange and the web are compact or
noncompact, the yield stress of the beam and the unsupported length of the
compression flange, Lb. Table 1 identifies the equations that are used to calculate the allowable bending stress of the steel beam alone for various conditions.
Table 1 is based on the requirements of Chapter F, Section F1 in the AISCASD89 specification. The compact and noncompact requirements that the
programe uses for the flanges, web and the cover plate (if it exists and is in
compression) are presented in Technical Note Width-to-Thickness Checks
Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89.
In the Flange and Cover Plate column of Table 1, if the flange or the cover
plate is noncompact, the column entry is noncompact. Both the flange and
the cover plate must be compact for the entry to be compact.

Allowable Bending Stress for Steel Beam Alone

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Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89

Allowable Bending Stresses

Table 1 Equations Used by the Program for Allowable Bending

Stress for Steel Beam Alone

Web

Beam
Fy

Unsupported
Length of
Compression
Flange1

compact

compact

65 ksi

Lc

compact

compact

> 65 ksi

Lc

compact
Rolled I-shaped or
channel section noncompact
from the program
database
noncompact

noncompact

No limit

Lc

compact

65 ksi

Lc

compact

> 65 ksi

Lc

noncompact

noncompact

No limit

Lc

compact or
noncompact

compact or
noncompact

No limit

> Lc

compact

compact

65 ksi

Lc

compact

compact

> 65 ksi

Lc

compact

noncompact

No limit

Lc

65 ksi

Lc

> 65 ksi

Lc

No limit

> Lc

Type of
Beam Section

User defined
(welded) section
that is
I-shaped or a
channel

Flange
and
Cover
Plate

noncompact
noncompact
compact or
noncompact

compact or
noncompact
compact or
noncompact
compact or
noncompact

Equation(s) for Fb,

the Allowable Bending
Stress
3
in tension or compression
6
in tension or compression
6
in tension or compression
4
in tension or compression
6
in tension or compression
6
in tension or compression
6 for tension; larger of 7 or
8, as applicable and 9 for
compression2
3
in tension or compression
6
in tension or compression
6
in tension or compression
5
in tension or compression
6
in tension or compression
6 for tension; larger of 7 or
8, as applicable and 9 for
compression2, 3

Table Descriptive Notes:

1.
2.
3.

See Equation 2 for Lc.

Equations 7 and 8 do not apply to channels.
For I-shaped beams, Equation 9 does not apply if the area of the compression flange is less
than the area of the tension flange. For this check the area of the cover plate is included as
part of the flange area.

Allowable Bending Stress for Steel Beam Alone

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Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89

Allowable Bending Stresses

In the fifth column of Table 1, the unsupported length of the compression

flange is compared to Lc. The length Lc is defined in Equation 2.

L c = smaller of

76b f
Fy

and

20000
(d A f )Fy

Eqn. 2

The Af and bf terms in Equation 2 are the area and width of the beam compression flange (not including cover plate even if it exists), respectively.
These terms are never based on the cover plate dimensions. The Fy term is
the yield stress of the beam (not cover plate)
The equations referred to in the last column of Table 1 are listed below.

Fb = 0.66 Fy

Eqn. 3

b
Fb = Fy 0.79 0.002 f
2t f

Fy

Eqn. 4

b
Fb = Fy 0.79 0.002 f
2t f

Fy

kc

Eqn. 5

where

kc =

4.05

(h t w )0.46

, for h/tw > 70, otherwise kc = 1

Fb = 0.60 Fy

Eqn. 5a

Eqn. 6

In Equation 6, the program takes Fy as the yield stress of the compression

flange for hybrid beams.

When

102 * 10 3 C b
510 * 10 3 C b
l

Fy
rT
Fy

2
2

Fy (l rT )
Fy 0.60Fy
Fb =
3 1,530 * 10 3 C b

Allowable Bending Stress for Steel Beam Alone

Eqn. 7

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Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89

When
Fb =

Fb =

Allowable Bending Stresses

l
510 * 103 Cb
>
rT
Fy

170 * 103 Cb

(l rT )2

Eqn. 8

0.60Fy

12 * 103 Cb
0.60Fy
(ld A f )

Eqn. 9

In Equations 7 and 8, the l term in l/rT is the unbraced length of the compression flange. The rT term is based on the compression flange of the beam. This
is significant when the dimensions of the top and bottom flanges are different.
For rolled sections, the rT term is taken from the program database. For userdefined (welded) sections, the rT term is calculated using Equation 10a or
10b. Equation 10a applies for positive bending and Equation 10b applies for
negative bending. If it exists, the cover plate is ignored when calculating rT.
For positive bending:

b 3f top t f top
rT =

12

b f top t f top +

(d y bare

t f top ) t 3w

36
(d y bare t f top ) t w

Eqn. 10a

For negative bending:

rT =

(y t f bot ) t 3w
b 3f bot t f bot
+ bare
12
36
(y t f bot ) t w
b f bot t f bot + bare
3

Eqn. 10b

The Cb term in Equations 7, 8 and 9 is defined in "Bracing (C) Tab and Bracing Tab" in Technical Note Overwrites Composite Beam Design AISC-ASC89.
In Equation 9 Af is the area of the compression flange (not including the cover
plate even if it exists).

Allowable Bending Stress for Steel Beam Alone

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Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89

Allowable Bending Stresses

The derivation of ybare is provided in "Properties of Steel Beam (Plus Cover

Plate) Alone" in Technical Note Transformed Section Moment of Inertia Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89.

Allowable Bending Stresses for Positive Bending in the

Composite Beam
Note:
Allowable stresses when composite connection is not considered is described earlier in
this Technical Note in the section entitled Allowable Bending Stress for Steel Beam
Alone.
Figure 1 shows a typical composite beam. When there is positive bending in
the beam there is compression at the top of the concrete and tension at the
bottom of the beam. For positive bending in a composite beam, the program
checks the stresses at the following locations:

Compression stress at the top of the concrete. This stress is limited to

0.45 f c' .

Tension or compression at the top of the top flange of the beam. See Table 2 for the allowable stress.

Tension or compression at the bottom of the bottom flange of the beam.

In practice, it is unlikely that the bottom flange of the beam will ever be in
compression for positive bending. It would require an extremely large
cover plate, beyond the bounds of practicality. See Table 2 for the allowable stress.

Tension at the bottom of the cover plate. See Table 2 and the section entitled General at the beginning of this Technical Note for the allowable
stress.

Table 2 defines the equations that are used to calculate the allowable bending
stress for the steel beam portion of a composite beam section for various
conditions. The equation used depends on whether the beam web is compact
and whether the yield stress is less than or equal to 65 ksi.

Allowable Bending Stresses for Positive Bending in the Composite Beam

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Composite Beam Design AISC-ASD89

Allowable Bending Stresses

hr

tc

Concrete slab

Metal deck

tcp

Steel beam

bcp

Cover plate

Figure 1 Composite Beam

Table 2:

Equations the Program Uses to Calculate the Allowable Bending Stress in the Steel Beam Portion of a Composite Beam

Type of Beam
Section
Any
composite beam

Equations Used for Allowable Stresses

Compression
Tension

Web

Beam Fy

compact
noncompact
compact or
noncompact

65 ksi

11

11

65 ksi

12

12

> 65 ksi

12

12

Fb = 0.66 Fy

Eqn.11

Fb = 0.60 Fy

Eqn. 12

Allowable Bending Stresses for Positive Bending in the Composite Beam

Page 7 of 7