Introduction to Steel Portal Frame Structures

Steel portal frame is the most common, cost-effective structural solutions for single-storey buildings
with gable-pitched roofs. In fact, about 50% of the steelwork in the U.K is used up in the construction of
single-storey buildings, of which portal frames form the greater part. They are lightweight, efficient, and
highly economical for supporting buildings envelopes, often where it is required to create a large
uninterrupted column space. Thus, this type of construction is more appropriate and mostly adopted for
buildings such as warehouses, shopping complexes, workshops, depots and generally industrial buildings
sustaining relatively modest loads.

Portal frames are relatively flexible and highly prone to significant deformations, hence less onerous
deflection limits are generally applied to them than other forms of construction. Although these
deformations can be reduced by the use of larger steel sections, the cost benefits become adversative.
And if deflections become so critical, for instance, from the fact that the frames are carrying heavy
loads, an alternative form of construction or structural solution (such as, a girder) becomes more
appropriate.

Composition of a Portal Frame Structure

A typical portal frame structure consists of a series of frames, braced in the longitudinal direction, but
unbraced in the transverse direction. Each frame consists of columns and rafters which form the portal
frame itself. Longitudinal bracings are provided between the portal frames and on the roof (Figure 1).
The end frame is often a braced arrangement of steel columns and rafters, although a portal frame can
be provided, but this is seldom the case.

Portal frames structures, also consist of secondary steel element. This includes the side rails for
supporting the external wall cladding and the purlins for the roof. The secondary steel elements are very
important, because they play a critical part in restraining the portal frames (primary steel elements)
against out of plane buckling.

Generally, a typical portal frame structure can be broken-down into the following composition.

Main Frame

The main frame consists of steel columns and steel beams which serves as the rafter. The frame is
continuous with moment resisting connections. By virtue of the continuity of the frame, resistance to
lateral loads and in plane stability is ensured. This means that the stability and displacement of the
frame is largely dependent on the stiffness of the members. The members are formed from hot rolled
steel sections, -universal steel columns for the columns and universal beams for the rafters. In addition,
to enhance the resistance of the frame to flexure at the eaves and apex where the flexural moments are
greatest, the frame is provided with a “haunch”.
In most instances, the frame is assumed to be nominally pinned at the base, even where the frame may
posses appreciable stiffnesses. This implies that the base plate to the portal frame is designed as a
simple connection.

Haunches

As earlier stated, a haunch is commonly provided in the eaves and apex of portal frames, and its
provision is to enhance the flexural resistance of the rafters where the bending moment appear to be
greatest, instead of sizing the rafters based on the value of the flexural moment at the eaves. The
haunch also doubles as a stiffener to the frames, increasing stability and reducing deflections. The
presence of a haunch also facilitates the use of bolted connections.

The Eaves haunches are

normally cut from a hot
rolled section slightly
larger or at least the
same as the rafter, and
welded to the underside
of the rafter. In the
design of the frame, it is
desired for the flexural
hogging moment at the
eaves to be
approximately equal to
the sagging moment at
the apex, to achieve this, the length of the eaves haunches is kept equal to 10% of the frame span. The
apex haunch is also cut from a hot rolled section, the same size as the rafter or from steel plates,
however in contrast to the eave haunches, they are not provided for enhancing flexural resistance but to
facilitate the bolted connections between the rafters.

Bracings

portal frame structure requires braced bays to transfer the applied lateral forces to the ground. The
braced bays contains both horizontal bracings provided in the plane of the rafters and vertical bracings
in the plane of the side walls (Figure 4). Most often the braced bays are provided at both ends of the
building and in certain cases an additional braced bay might be needed along the length of the building,
depending on the magnitude of the lateral loads being envisioned. When bracings are provided at the
end frames, the roof
bracings intersect with
the top of the gable
columns, hence it is able
to transfer the loads in the
plane of the roof to the
eaves.

Gable frame

The end frames of portal frame structures are referred to as the gable frames. The gable frames consist
of steel columns at intervals connected by rafters (See figure 6) just like the main frames, but in
addition, they contain one or more braced bays in the plane of the frame. In a gable frame, the gable
columns span like a vertical beam from the ground to the portal frame.

Preliminary Aspects of Analysis and Design

The conceptual design stage of any structure must take into cognizance a series of interconnected
factors influencing on the overall design, a portal frame is not different. The frame dimension is critical
to determining the overall height and width of the frame to give adequate building space for the internal
functions of the building. The frame designer must decide on the following at the conceptual design
stage.
Clear span and height

The clear span and height required by the client as evident in the architectural drawings is the key to
determining the dimensions to be considered for use in the analysis and design. The architectural
requirement for clear span is often the dimension between the internal flanges of the columns, the span
used for design is the centre-centre dimension, hence this would be greater than the architectural clear
span by the column section depth.

The clear height of the frame is measured from the finished floor level to the underside of the haunch or
suspended ceiling. This will be determined using the specified internal floor height specified in the
architectural drawing.

Main frames

A typical main frame in a portal frame structure should be characterized by the following1:

Span of (15 -50m)

Clear height of (5-12m)

A roof pitch between (5°-10°)

Frame spacing between 6 and 8m

Haunches provided in the rafters at the eaves and apex

A stiffness ratio between the column and rafter section of approx. 1.5

Position of restraints

Preliminary sizing of portal frame design is carried out using the resistance of the steel sections to their
cross-section resistance to flexure, shear and axial forces. At the detail design stage, the resistance of
the chosen sections to buckling would need to be carried out, with restraints positioned at the critical
areas.

Buckling is usually less critical in the rafters due to the restraints from purlins, although sometimes
additional restraints might be required. However, the same cannot be said for the columns, as there is
usually more inhibition to positioning rails to provide restraints due to requirement for openings within
the elevations of the buildings. Where intermediate restraints are impossible, the buckling resistance of
the column will most likely determine the preliminary sizing of the columns. Thus, it is very essential at
this early stage to understand if provision of continuous side rails is allowed on the frame elevations.
Only continuous side rails can be guaranteed to effectively restrain the column. Side rails occasionally
interrupted by the requirement for doors and windows cannot be relied on as providing effective
restraints1.

Selection of material and sections

Having established the frame dimensions and use of restraint in resisting buckling, the frame designer
must now select trial sections that would be used to check the analysis and design. The steel sections
typically used in portal frame design are usually grade S355 steel.

For portal frames designed using plastic analysis, the classification of steel sections at locations where
the formation of plastic hinges that rotate is likely must be Class 1, compact section can be used
elsewhere.