Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University Design of Steel Structures

Faculty of Technical Engineering in Najaf Lecture 21: Beams_8

Department of Building and Construction Techniques Lecturer: Dr. Atheer Hilal Algiburi

Shear Strength of Beam

 Beam shear strength is covered in Chapter G of the AISC Specification, “Design of Members

for Shear. Both hot-rolled shapes and welded built-up shapes are covered.
 Hot-rolled shapes will be discussed in the present lecture. The AISC provisions for hot-rolled

shapes are covered in Section G2.1. Built-up shapes “Plate Girders” are out the scope of these

lectures.
 Consider the simple beam of Figure (21-1). At a distance x from the left end and at the neutral
axis of the cross section, the state of stress is as shown in Figure (21-1, d). Because this element
is located at the neutral axis, it is not subjected to flexural stress.

Figure (21-1): Shear stress in beam

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From elementary mechanics of materials, the shearing stress is

(21-1)

Equation (21-1) is based on the assumption that the stress is constant across the width b, and it is
therefore accurate only for small values of b. For this reason, Equation (21-1) cannot be applied to the
flange of a W-shape in the same manner as for the web.

Figure (21-2) shows the shearing stress distribution for a W shape. Superimposed on the actual
distribution is the average stress in the web, V/Aw, which does not differ much from the maximum web
stress. Clearly, the web will completely yield long before the flanges begin to yield. Because of this,
yielding of the web represents one of the shear limit states.

Figure (21-2): Shear stress distribution

Taking the shear yield stress as 60% of the tensile yield stress, we can write the equation for the stress
in the web at failure as

(21-2)

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and will be the nominal strength in shear provided that there is no shear buckling of the web. Whether

that occurs will depend on h/tw ratio of the web. If this ratio is too large—that is, if the web is too

slender—the web can buckle in shear, either inelastically or elastically.

AISC Specification Requirements for Shear

Section G2.1 of the AISC Specification covers both beams with stiffened webs and beams with
unstiffened webs. In most cases, hot-rolled beams will not have stiffeners. The basic strength equation
is

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This value of kv is for unstiffened webs with h/tw < 260. Although section G2.1 of the Specification
does not give h/tw = 260 as an upper limit, no value of kv is given when h/tw ≥ 260. In addition, AISC

F13.2, “Proportioning Limits for I-Shaped Members,” states that h/tw in unstiffened girders shall not

exceed 260.

The relationship between shear strength and the h/tw ratio is is illustrated in Figure (21-3).

Figure (21-3): Relationship between shear strength and the web width-to-thickness ratio

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Allowable Stress Formulation

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Block Shear

To facilitate the connection of beams to other beams so that the top flanges are at the same elevation,
a short length of the top flange of one of the beams may be cut away, or coped. If a coped beam is
connected with bolts as in Figure (21-4), segment ABC will tend to tear out.

Figure (21-4; 5.20 in the textbook): Block shear of coped beam

The applied load in this case will be the vertical beam reaction, so shear will occur along line AB and
there will be tension along BC. Thus the block shear strength will be a limiting value of the reaction.

AISC J4.3, “Block Shear Strength,” gives the following equation for block shear strength:

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