Plastic Analysis

INTRODUCTION
• Plastic analysis – alternative method to
analysis the material of steel because of the
ductile behaviour
• The purpose of plastic analysis – determine
the collapse load or ultimate load
• Plastic analysis – considers the behaviour of
structure in plastic limit before the structure
collapse
 Advantages of plastic condition
• Avoid the failure before mature due to the
wrong calculation and over loading
• Give additional safety factor for the structure
Stress-strain relationship of steel

Linear relationship between stress and

strain;
the steel is in the elastic behaviour.

The yield section creates a plastic

hinge and lost all resistance to rotation
– attain its maximum possible moment
capacity (plastic moment)
 Idealized stress-strain curve for mild
steel
Stress
Plastic stage
σy

Elastic
stage

Strain
εy
•Plastic behaviour is complex and governed by the form of the stress-strain
curve
•Mild steel obeys Hooke’s law
•For the purpose of plastic analysis - neglect the upper and lower yield points
as well as the effect of strain hardening
• assume that E and σy have the same values in tension and compression
Plastic Bending of the beam
(Rectangular section)
b
σy σy σy

F
Fp
y h/2
s
h
Sp
t

-σy -σy -σy

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Beam Fully elastic Elastic-plastic Fully plastic
cross
section
My

My
Ze = I/y1 = min elastic modulus
My

Zp = Mp/σy
Zp = A(Ŷ1 + Ŷ2)/2
• Elastic - plastic
M ep = M e + M p =  y I e / y + Fs
Where; s = h – t ; F = σbt ; y = (h-2t)/2 ; Ie = b(h-2t)³/12

M ep = 2 y b(h − 2t ) 3 /[12(h − 2t )] + ( y bt(h − t )

=  y (bh 2 / 6)[1 + (2t / h)(1 − t / h)]

M ep / My = 1 + (2t / h)(1 − t / h)
Shape Factor

My
 Example
• Determine the yield moment, the plastic
moment and the shape factor for a
rectangular beam of breadth b and depth d.
Solution
Pu = depends on the cross sectional
shapes
Pw = depend on the value of I and Z
EXAMPLE
 Problem 1

Determine the shape factor for the I-section

beam shown in Figure below. Given h=
300mm, b=150mm, tw = 8 mm and tf = 12 mm
y
σy

tf = 12 mm

d =300 mm z Elastic and

plastic NA
tw = 8 mm

σy
b = 150 mm
Solution
Problem 2
Determine the shape factor of T-section below

y yp
150 mm
σy
10 mm Plastic
ye NA

z G
Elastic
200 mm NA

7 mm σy
Solution
Theorems in plastic analysis
Three following condition must be satisfied by a structure in its
collapse state
1. Equilibrium condition:
The system of bending moments must be in equilibrium with the
applied load . (Σ FX=0, Σ FY=0, Σ Mxy=0)
2. The yield condition:
The bending moment at any section in the structure should not be
more (may not exceed) than the full plastic moment, Mp at any
3. Mechanism condition:
Sufficient plastic hinges must have formed to reduce all or part of
the structure to a mechanism.
 ???????????????
What do you think will happen to the beam when the mid-
span cross-section becomes fully plastic?

ANS: A plastic hinge forms at mid-span and a collapse

mechanism develops.
The load at this stage has increased beyond the normal
working load which the beam is intended to carry but with a
margin of safety indicated by the load factor (λ) which is the
ratio of collapse load (ultimate load) to normal working load
Pc = λPw

Plastic hinge
Plastic Hinge
W
Region From the figure the BMD is triangular in
of
plasticity shape with Mmax = WL/4.

If W is increased in value until WL/4 = Mp,

Lp the mid-span section of the beam will be
W/2 W/2 fully plastic with regions of plasticity
extending towards the support as the
Me
Mp
bending moment decreases (No plasticity
occur if the bending moment < Me

L Unrestricted plastic flow occurs at mid-

span – large increases in deformation
take place with no increase in load
Plastic Hinge
• W is the collapse load for the beam (W= 4Mp/L)
W  L − Lp 
My =   Substitute W in an equation
2  2 
Therefore,
My =
Mp
(L − L )
p
L

 M 
L p = L 1 − y 
 M p 

(
L p = L 1− 1
S
)
Plastic Hinge
• The concept of plastic hinge used to determine the collapse
or ultimate load of beams in term of their individual yield
moment, Mp which may be found for a particular beam
section using Mp = σyZp
• For simply supported beam, the formation of a single plastic
hinge is sufficient to produce failure (statically determinate
system)
• Moment about the mid-span section

Wu L 4M p
= Mp therefore; Wu =
2 2 L
Locations of plastic hinge
Basic mechanism

P
W
Basic mechanism
Q P
W
Collapse mechanism
Virtual displacement
WU
θ θ
A C

2θ
B
L/2 L/2

External work = internal work

Internal work done = work done by hinge
External work done = work done by load
External work done = Internal work done

W  =  M 
u u j j
L
WU  = (M P ) A  + (M P ) B 2
2
Example
Solution
Problem 3

• Find the critical collapse load

L
A B
 Plastic Analysis of Frame
• Two category of mechanism
i) free – beam and sway
ii) combine
Plastic Analysis of Frame
(Rectangular portal frame)
V
H
B C D

A E
l

θ
θ θ
2θ θ
2θ
θ θ θ θ

Beam Mechanism Sway Mechanism Combined Mechanism

Beam Mechanism

• The behaviour is similar to a fixed ended

beam
• Beam mechanism- the rotation of CB and CD
are equal (symmetry)
l
= M P ( + 2 +  )
θ θ
V
2 2θ

8M P
V=
l
Sway mechanism

• Sway mechanism – AB and DE have both

rotated by θ
Hh = M P ( +  +  +  )
4M P
H=
h
If h = 2L/3 θ θ

6M P
H=
l
Combined mechanism
• No plastic hinge at B there is no plastic
moment at B (moment due to H and V are in
opposite direction)
l θ
V + Hh = M P ( + 2 + 2 +  ) θ
2 2θ

VL + 2Hh = 12M P θ θ

If h = 2L/3

3V + 4H = 36M P
Plastic Analysis of Frame
Portal Frame
(Rectangular portal frame)
• In practice the hinge would normally form a
very small distance away from the joint,
however does not significantly affect the
overall geometry of the problem
• Becomes important when the plastic moment
capacities (Mp) of the two member are
different
Problem 5
V
H
B C D h = 2θL/3
Moment capacity at the cap beam = 2Mp
h Moment capacity of the column = Mp

A E
l

=2θ

θ θ
θ θ

2θ 2θ
θ
θ θ
2θ θ θ
θ

Beam Mechanism Sway Mechanism Combined Mechanism

Example
Example
Assignment

• Determine the load of W required to cause

collapse of the frame if the plastic moment of
all members of the frame is 200 kNm
W

W/2

B C D

2m

E
4m

2m 2m