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Note 1 Level 2
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Technical TheStructuralEngineer 25
Technical Guidance Note January 2013

Designing a steel beam

Introduction ICON W Principles of steel
This Technical Guidance Note is the first of the Level 2 guides. Guides in LEGEND beam design

this next level build on what has been described previously in the Level 1
series. The topics covered at Level 2 are of a more complex nature as they W Applied practice
typically deal with the design of elements as opposed to core concepts
such as loading and stability. As such, the amount of prior knowledge the
reader is assumed to have is at the very least the contents of relevant Level W Worked example
1 Technical Guidance Notes.

The subject of this guide is the design of non-composite steel beams to BS W Further reading
EN 1993-1-1 – Eurocode 3: Design of Steel Structures – Part 1-1: General
Rules for Buildings. It covers both restrained and unrestrained rolled steel
‘I’ and ‘H’ beam sections. It does not encompass the design of ‘T’ sections, W Web resources
hollow sections, castellated beams, angles and welded sections.

Principles of steel Description Variable

beam design b Width of flange

The key to understanding the design of h Depth of beam

steel beams is to determine whether or
not the beam is restrained against lateral z-z Minor axis
torsional buckling. This subject is covered
in the Level 1 (No. 16) Technical Guidance y-y Major axis
Note: Lateral torsional buckling. If a beam is
restrained, all that needs to be checked is d Depth of web
the bending moment and shear resistance
of the beam as well as serviceability limits
tw Thickness of web
against the applied load/actions. All
tf Thickness of flange
of which are based on the beam’s core
properties. r Radius of root fillet between web and flange
If the beam is unrestrained along any part Wpl,y Plastic section modulus about the y-y axis
of its length however, then there is a risk
it will fail due to lateral torsional buckling. Wel,y Elastic section modulus about the y-y axis
To address this, Eurocode 3 establishes
a reduction factor that is applied to the iz Radius of gyration about the z-z axis
bending moment resistance of the beam.
Calculating this factor is the cornerstone A Cross sectional area of the beam
of unrestrained steel beam design within
Eurocode 3. Iyy Second moment of area about the y-y axis

Frequent references will be made on the

section variables throughout this guide. You
N Figure 1
Beam section notation used in Eurocode 3

are advised therefore to examine Figure 1

for the definition and nomenclature of these
variables.
Steel material properties
The density of steel is 7850 kg/m3 and the
Young’s Modulus (E) is 210,000 N/mm2.
S275 and S355 are the two strength
grades of steel most commonly used in
the construction industry within the UK.
S275’s nominal yield strength is 275 N/mm2
and Grade S355’s nominal yield strength
is 355 N/mm2. The actual yield strength is
dependent on the maximum thickness of
an element within a steel section, as the
thicker the element the lower the yield
strength. Table 1 defines what the yield
strength should be for the most common
ranges of thicknesses found in open rolled
steel sections. These figures are based on
the values given in BS EN 10025 Hot Rolled
Products of Structural Steels, which is the
product standard for rolled steel sections of
various sub-grades.

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Note 1 Level 2

26 TheStructuralEngineer Technical
January 2013 Technical Guidance Note

Table 1: Yield strength fy vs. element thickness

Yield strength fy for Yield strength fy for element Yield strength fy for element
Grade element thickness thickness > 16mm thickness > 40mm
< 16mm (N/mm2) and < 40mm (N/mm2) and < 63mm (N/mm2)

S275 275 265 255

S355 355 345 335

Classification of beam sections of the elements must lie. These limits are
Clause 5.5.2 in BS EN 1993-1-1 groups steel further modified based on the yield strength
beams into four classifications. These of the material; this is defined via
classifications are based on a steel beam coefficient ε thus:
section’s resistance to suffering from a local
failure due to buckling: 2
235 N/mm
f =
Class 1/‘Plastic’ These sections can form fy
a plastic hinge when a bending moment is
applied to them without suffering from local Where:
buckling failure. ε is the coefficient for section classification
fy is the yield strength of the steel, based on
Class 2/‘Compact’ These sections cannot element thickness
properly develop a plastic hinge as their
ability to rotate is limited before local Table 2 indicates the limiting values for
buckling failure occurs. various classes of section for both of the
elements identified in Figure 2. If any of the
Class 3/‘Semi-Compact’ These are ratios go beyond those stated in Table 2 the
sections that can withstand elastic stresses, section is considered to be in the Class 4
specifically at the extreme fibres of the category.
section, but cannot form a plastic hinge.
This has the effect of negating their plastic
Table 2: Limiting values of geometries
bending moment capacity.
for section classes 1-3
Class 4/‘Slender’ Sections that will fail
Class Web Flange
due to local buckling prior to the point of
yield stress. Their plastic bending capacity 1 c/t ≤ 72ε c/t ≤ 9ε
therefore is non-existent.
2 c/t ≤ 83ε c/t ≤ 10ε
When determining the classification of a
section, typically two parts of a rolled steel 3 c/t ≤ 124ε c/t ≤ 14ε
beam section are considered. For a simply
supported beam, these are the edge of
the top flange and the web, both of which Shear capacity
are subjected to compression stress due Typically the component of the beam that
to bending. Figure 2 indicates where these takes the majority of the applied shear
elements lie within a rolled steel beam section. force is its web. There are instances where
stiffeners are installed in order to support
Table 5.2 in Clause 5.5 of BS EN 1993-1-1 high shear loads, but this is very much the
defines the limits within which the geometry exception rather than the rule.

"Guides in this
next level build
on what has
been described
previously in the
E Figure 2
Elements
of a rolled steel Level 1 series"
beam that
determine its
classification

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All steel beams must satisfy the following
expression:
V Ed
# 1
V c, Rd
Where:
VEd is the applied shear force
Vc,Rd is the design shear resistance
In the case of Class 1 and 2 rolled steel
beams, the design shear resistance is
designated as Vpl,RD and is defined in Clause
6.2.6, equation 6.18 of BS EN 1993-1-1 as:
A v (f y / 3)
V pl,Rd =
c M0
Where:
Av is the cross section area of the part of the
beam that is resisting shear. For ‘I’ and ‘H’
sections this can conservatively be taken to
be htw, which is the cross sectional area of the
web and the thickness of the flange (Figure 3).
For all other classes of beam sections, you are
referred to Clause 6.2.6 (4) of BS EN 1993-1-1
for determining their design shear resistance.
N Figure 3
Approximate extent of web
resisting shear in a steel beam
Clause 6.2.6 of BS EN 1993-1-1 has a more
accurate equation that takes into account
the radii of the root fillet to the web-to-
flange interface of the ‘H’ and ‘I’ sections.
These can be used if you are finding it
difficult to satisfy the shear resistance
requirements.
Bending moment resistance
of steel beams
BS EN 1993-1-1 defines the bending moment
resistance of restrained steel beams (Mc,Rd)
in clause 6.2.5(2) as:
TSE13_25-29.indd 27
fy
M c,Rd = W y
c M0
Where:
Wy is the major axis section modulus of the
beam based on its classification:
Wy = Wpl,y (Plastic section modulus)
for Class 1 or 2
Wy = Wel,y (Elastic section modulus)
for Class 3
Wy = Weff,y (Minimum effective section
modulus) for Class 4
fy is the yield strength of the steel, based on
element thickness
γM0 is the partial factor for the resistance of
cross-sections, which in the UK is set at 1.0
The bending moment resistance should be
reduced if the applied shear force is more
than half of the plastic shear resistance
of the beam. Where it exceeds this value,
Clause 6.2.8 of BS EN 1993-1-1 applies. This
places a modification factor against the yield
strength, thus:
Modified yield strength = (1-ρ)fy
Where:
` 2V - 1j
2
Ed
t =
V pl,Rd
This modified yield strength is then inserted
into the calculation that determines bending
moment resistance.
For Class 4 sections you are required to
follow the guidance given in BS EN 1993-1-
5 – Eurocode 3: Design of Steel Structures
– Part 1-5: Plated Structural Elements. Class
4 sections are not found in rolled ‘I’ and
‘H’ elements and are therefore beyond the
scope of this guide.
In the case of an unrestrained portion of
a beam, a factor is applied to the bending
moment resistance (Mb,Rd) that takes into
account the risk of lateral torsional buckling.
This is described Clause 6.3.2.1 (3) of BS EN
1993-1-1, in equation 6.55 as:
fy
M b, Rd = | LT W y
c M1
Where:
Wy is the major axis section modulus of the
beam based on its classification and is the
same for restrained beams
fy is the yield strength of the steel, based on
element thickness
γM1 is the partial factor for resistance of
members subject to instability, which in
the UK is set at 1.0
χLT is the reduction factor that takes into
account lateral torsional buckling
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27
Lateral torsional buckling
Clause 6.3.2.3 of BS EN 1993-1-1 describes
how the value of χLT is related to the
slenderness of the beam. This is related
to the distance between restraints to the
element of the beam that is subject to
compression. For simply supported beams it
is its upper-most flange. This is known as the
non-dimensional slenderness ( m LT ) and is
defined thus:
W y fy
m LT =
M cr
Where:
Wy and fy are as per previous definitions
Mcr is the elastic critical moment for lateral
torsional buckling, which is based on the
slenderness of the beam
Mcr is not defined within Eurocode 3, which
offers no guidance in calculating its value.
There are however, many direct methods
for calculating slenderness, the most simple
of which is described in this guide.
Slenderness
For ‘H’ and ‘I’ sections it is possible to
use simplified methods to calculate the
relative slenderness of the beam. The most
conservative method is defined in Table 1.1
of NCCI: Determination of non-dimensional
slenderness of I and H sections SN002a-
EN-EU. It is based on applying the following
equations that vary depending on the grade
of steel being used:
For S275 Grade steel:
:L D
iz
m LT =
96
For S355 Grade steel:
:L D
iz
m LT =
85
Where:
L is the distance between restraints to the
compression flange of the beam
iz is the radius of gyration about the minor
axis of the beam
While valid, this method is very conservative
as it ignores the bending moment diagram
of the beam and can therefore result in
oversized members. There is however,
a more accurate yet complex method
that does take into account the bending
moment diagram and is described in
NCCI: Determination of non-dimensional
slenderness of I and H sections SN002a-
EN-EU. It is strongly recommended that
you examine this method in order to design
more efficiently sized steel beams.
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Note 1 Level 2

28 TheStructuralEngineer Technical
January 2013 Technical Guidance Note

There are further methods in determining Serviceability

Mcr described in the Non-Contradictory The vertical deflection limits for steel beams "Class 4 sections
Complimentary Information website for
structural steelwork.
can be found in the Clause NA.2.23 of the UK
National Annexe to BS EN 1993-1-1. Table 3 are not found in
Once the non-dimensional slenderness is
is based on these stated limits, which are for
the deflection due to unfactored imposed rolled ‘I’ and ‘H’
established, the value of χLT is determined
using equation 6.57 of Clause 6.3.2.3 of BS
loads/variable actions only.
elements and are
EN 1993-1-1 thus:
Table 3: Vertical deflection to steel beams beyond the scope
| LT =
U LT +
1
2 2
U LT - b m LT
Beam type/structure Deflection limit of this guide"
U LT = 0.5 61 + a LT ( m LT - m LT, 0) + b m LT@
2 Cantilever Length/180

Where: Beams supporting Eurocode 0.

The values of β and m LT,0 are defined as
0.4 and 0.75 respectively, as described in
Clause NA.2.17 of NA to BS EN 1993-1-1.
αLT is the imperfection factor and is found
in Table 6.3 of BS EN 1993-1-1, which reads
against the steel beam’s buckling curve.
The buckling curves are labelled ‘a’ to ‘d’
and can be found in Clause NA.2.17 of NA
to BS EN 1993-1-1. The buckling curve is
dependent upon the h/b ratio of the beam
section.
brittle finishes
Span/360 Applied practice
All other conditions Span/200 The applicable codes of practice for
designing steel beams are as follows:
Purlins and To suit cladding
cladding rails system BS EN 1993-1-1 Eurocode 3: Design of
Steel Structures – Part 1-1: General Rules for
Buildings
In addition to deflection, it is prudent to
check the vibration of the beam i.e. its BS EN 1993-1-1 UK National Annex to
dynamic response. Technical Guidance Note Eurocode 3: Design of Steel Structures –
No. 11, Level 1 explains how to do this. Part 1-1: General Rules for Buildings

Worked example

A simply supported, unrestrained steel beam spanning 8m is supporting another steel

beam in the middle of its span. The ultimate load from this beam is 500 kN, while the
serviceability load due to variable actions is 200 kN. The floor structure consists of one
way spanning precast concrete planks with a screed and tiled finish. These planks span
parallel to the steel beam and hence do not provide lateral restraint. Determine what size
of beam is required to support this load, assuming the steel grade to be S355.

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Glossary and
further reading

Reduction factor – A variable applied to

the bending moment resistance of a beam
due to the fact that it is unrestrained and
hence subject to lateral torsional buckling.

Rolled steel section – A steel element

that is cast to a pre-set size and not built up
from separate plate elements.

Section classification – A categorisation

of steel elements that is based on the
element’s ability to develop a plastic hinge
when placed under load.

Further Reading
The Institution of Structural Engineers
(2010) Manual for the Design of Steelwork
Building Structures to Eurocode 3 London:
The Institution of Structural Engineers

Steel Construction Institute (2009) Steel

Building Design. Worked Examples for
Students (P387) Ascot, Berkshire: SCI

The Institution of Structural Engineers

(2012) ‘Principles of design’ The Structural
Engineer Vol. 90 (1) pp. 40-41

The Institution of Structural Engineers

(2012) ‘Derivation of dead loads’ The
Structural Engineer Vol. 90 (1) pp. 43-45

The Institution of Structural Engineers

(2012) ‘Derivation of imposed loads’ The
Structural Engineer Vol. 90 (2) pp. 46-48

The Institution of Structural Engineers

(2012) ‘Derivation of wind load’ The
Structural Engineer Vol. 90 (2) pp. 49-52

The Institution of Structural Engineers

(2012) ‘Derivation of snow load’ The
Structural Engineer Vol. 90 (3) pp. 22-24

The Institution of Structural Engineers

(2012) ‘Lateral torsional buckling’ The
Structural Engineer Vol. 90 (16) pp. 28-30

Eurocode 0.
Web
resources

Tata Steel Interactive ‘Blue Book’:

www.tatasteelconstruction.com/en/design_
guidance/the_blue_book/

Non-Contradictory Complimentary
Information website for structural steelwork:
www.steel-ncci.co.uk/

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