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GRBT055-COM-A AISC-Sample (LRFD) June 17, 2005 17:25 Char Count= 0

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CHAPTER A

GENERAL PROVISIONS

A1. SCOPE
The scope of this Specification is broader than that of the two AISC Specifica-
tions that it replaces: the 1999 Load and Resistance Factor Design Specification
for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC, 2000b) and the 1989 ASD Specification
(AISC, 1989). This Specification combines these two previous Specifications and
incorporates the provisions of the Load and Resistance Factor Design Specifi-
cation for Steel Hollow Structural Sections (AISC, 2000), the Specification for
Allowable Stress Design of Single-Angle Members (AISC, 1989) and the Load
and Resistance Factor Design Specification for Single-Angle Members (AISC,
2000a). The basic purpose of the provisions in this Specification is the determina-
tion of the available and nominal strength of the members, connections and other
components of steel building structures. The nominal strength is usually defined
in terms of resistance to a load effect, such as axial force, bending moment, shear
or torque, but in some instances it is expressed in terms of a stress.
This Specification provides two methods of design:
(1) Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD): The nominal strength is multi-
plied by a resistance factor f, and the resulting design strength is then required
to equal or exceed the required strength determined by structural analysis for
the appropriate LRFD load combination specified by the applicable building
code.
(2) Allowable Strength Design (ASD): The nominal strength is divided by a
safety factor
, and the resulting allowable strength is then required to equal
or exceed the required strength determined by structural analysis for the ap-
propriate ASD load combination specified by the applicable building code.
This Specification gives provisions for determining the values of the nominal
strengths according to the applicable limit states and lists the corresponding values
of the resistance factor f and the safety factor
. The ASD safety factors are
calibrated to give the same structural reliability and the same component size as
the LRFD method at a live-to-dead load ratio of 3.
This Specification is applicable to both buildings and other structures. Many struc-
tures found in petrochemical plants, power plants, and other industrial applications
are designed, fabricated and erected in a manner similar to buildings. It is not in-
tended that this Specification address steel structures with vertical and lateral
load-resisting systems that are not similar to buildings, such as those constructed
of shells or catenary cables.
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, March 9, 2005
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION, INC.