PLATE GIRDER: A plate girder is basically an I-beam built up from

plates using riveting or welding. It is a deep flexural member used to carry loads that cannot be economically carried by rolled beams.
For Heavy Loads And Long Spans, choice is Two or more regular beams Beam with cover plates Plate girders Steel truss

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Plate girders provide maximum flexibility and economy.

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upper economical limit of plate girder spans: depend on the following factors. (a) Whether the bridge is simple or continuous (b) Whether it is a highway or railway bridge (c) The length of the section which can be transported in one piece In general, P.G are economical for railway bridges of spans 1540 m and for highway bridges of spans 24-46 m P.G vs Trusses ADVANTAGES (v) The cost of fabrication is lower compared to trusses (v) Erection is faster and cheaper (v) P.G require smaller vertical clearances than trusses (v) P.G are safer than trusses (v) Points where stresses may be critical are fewer in plate girders compared to trusses (v) P.G is more easily painted than a truss DISADVANTAGES (v) Heavier than trusses for the same span and loads (v) Larger no. of connections are required between webs and flanges (v) Larger exposed wind area compared to truss (v) Low torsional stiffness
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Difference between beams and plate girders Beams are rolled in mills to standard sizes, whereas plate girders are assembled by welding of plates qWeb stiffeners are not used commonly in beams and they are used widely in plate girders qThe principle difference between the design of a rolled beam and the design of a plate girder is that the structural designer has considerable freedom in proportioning a P.G
q

Elements of a plate girder (a) Web plate (b) Flange plate with or without cover plates (c) Bearing stiffeners or end post (d) Intermediate transverse stiffeners (e) Longitudinal stiffeners (f) Web splices (g) Flange splices

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Shear stress distribution

Bending stress distribution

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Resistance to shear buckling: Shall be verified when.

d/tw > 6 for webs without stiffeners 6

Where Kv=shear buckling coefficient =5.35 when transverse stiffeners are provided only at supports =4+5.35/(c/d)2 for c/d<1 =5.35+4/(c/d)2 for c/d 1 where c,d are the spacing of transverse stiffeners and depth of web respectively = (250/fy)

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PROPORTIONING OF WEB vMinimum web thickness: (a) Serviceability requirement 1) when transverse stiffeners are not provided d/tw 200 (web connected to flanges along both longitudinal edges) d/tw 90 (web connected to flanges along one longitudinal edge only) 2) when only transverse stiffeners are provided a) d/tw 200w for 3dc d b)c/tw 200w for 0.74d c d c)d/tw 270w for c < 0.74d d) for c>3d, the web is considered as unstiffened 3) when transverse stiffeners and longitudinal stiffeners are provided at one level only, at 0.2d from the compression flange a) d/tw 250w for 2.4dc d b)c/tw 250w for 0.74d c d c)d/tw 340w for c < 0.74d 4) when there is a second longitudinal stiffener provided at neutral axis a) d/tw 400w
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(b)Compression flange buckling requirement 1) when transverse stiffeners are not provided d/tw 345f2 2) when only transverse stiffeners are provided a) d/tw 345f2 c 1.5d b) d/tw 345f for c <1.5d Where d=depth of the web tw=thickness of the web c= spacing of transverse stiffener w=yield stress ratio of the web f=yield stress ratio of the compression flange fyw= yield stress of the web fyf= yield stress of the compression flange OPTIMUM VALUES: Optimum Depth;
v

Optimum thickness;

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b) Post buckling Behaviour After the web buckles along the direction of the principal compressive stress, a new load carrying mechanism is developed along the principle tensile direction-called tension field action. Any further increase in shear beyond elastic critical shear stress will be supported by this new mechanism.
v

The tensile field is constituted by the portion of the plate in the principal tensile direction and anchored at the boundaries along the top and bottom flanges and the stiffener members on either side of the web
v

The stress in the web plate at this stage will be the sum of the applied critical shear stress, cr,e when the web plate buckled and the post buckled membrane tensile stress(ft) due to tension field action.
v

The pull exerted by the tensile membrane stresses in the web on the flexible flanges will cause the flanges to bend inwards.
v

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Tension field action vAs the web begins to buckle, the web loses its ability to resist the diagonal compression vDiagonal compression is transferred to the TS & Flanges. vThe vertical component of diagonal compression is supported by stiffeners & flanges resist horizontal component vThe web resist only the diagonal tension

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c) Collapse Behaviour: On increasing the load further, the tensile membrane stress developed in the web continues to exert increasing pull on the flanges. Eventually the resultant stress reaches the yield value, and the web yields.
v v

A shear mechanism occurs when four plastic hinges form in the flanges. For plastic hinges to form in flanges, the flanges must be classified as plastic sections. For very strong flanges st=c, the hinges will form at the four corners of the flanges.

If the flanges are compact, semi-compact, or slender the tension field will be supported entirely by the transverse stiffeners.
v v

For very thick web of girder the web will yield before its buckling (fcr=fyw)

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SHEAR BUCKLING DESIGN METHODS A) Simple post critical method B) Tension field method Simple post critical method: This is based on the shear buckling strength. This method can be used for web of I section girders, with or without intermediate transverse stiffeners, provided that the web has transverse stiffeners at the supports The Nominal shear strength is given by Vn=Vcr Where Vcr = d twb 6b = shear stress corresponding to buckling, determined as follows: a) When w 0.8 b) When 0.8 < w < 1.2 c) When 6w 1.2 b =fyw/(3w2)

w = non-dimensional web slenderness ratio for shear buckling stress, given by 6cr = The elastic critical shear stress of the web

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END PANEL DESIGN: Without using tension field action qEnd panel along with stiffeners should be checked as a beam spanning between the flanges to resist a shear force, Rtf and a moment Mtf due to tension field force. Also end stiffener should be capable of resisting the reaction plus a compressive force due to the moment, equal to Mtf
q

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End panels designed using tension field action In this case the end panel (panel B) shall be designed according to tension field method. Additionally it should be provided with an end post consisting of a single or double stiffener, satisfying the following Single stiffener: qThe top of the end post should be rigidly connected to the flange using full strength welds. qThe end post should be capable of resisting the reaction plus a moment from the anchor forces equal to 2/3 Mtf qThe width and thickness of the end post are not to exceed the width & thickness of the flange.

Panel A: designed utilizing tension field action, Panel B: designed utilizing tension field action. Bearing stiffener and end post: designed for combination of compressive loads due to bearing and a moment equal to 2/3 Mtf
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Double stiffener: qThe end post should be checked as a beam spanning between the flanges of the girder and capable of resisting a shear force Rtf and a moment Mtf due to the tension field forces

Panel A: designed utilizing tension field action, Panel B: designed utilizing tension field action. Bearing stiffener: designed for compressive force due to bearing End post: designed for horizontal shear Rtf and moment Mtf
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Splices in Flanges:
v

A joint in the flange element provided to increase length of flange plate Flange splices should be avoided as far as possible Flange joints should not be located at points of maximum bending moment

Splices in Webs:
v

A joint in web plate provided to increase its length

Splices in the webs should preferably not be located at points of maximum shear force and heavy concentrated loads
v

Splices in the webs sall be designed to resist the shears and moments at the spliced section
v

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Curtailment of Flange plates

For a plate girder subjected to external loading, moment occurs at one section

maximum bending

Usually Flange area designed to resist maximum bending moment is not required at other sections Therefore flange plates may be curtailed where plate is no longer required as bending moment decreases At least one flange plate should be run for entire length of girder

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Stiffener Design: Intermediate transverse stiffener: Provided to improve the buckling strength of a slender web due to shear Load carrying stiffener: To prevent local buckling of the web due to concentrated loading Bearing stiffener: To prevent local crushing of the web due to concentrated loading Horizontal stiffeners: Provided to increase the buckling resistance of the web General requirements: vOutstand of web stiffeners The outstand from the face of the web should not exceed 20tq When the outstand of web is between 14tq and 20tq , then the stiffener design should be on the basis of a core section with an outstand of 14tq , where tq= thickness of the stiffener vStiff bearing length To determine the stiff bearing length(b1), the dispersion of load through a steel bearing element should be taken as 450 through solid material, such as bearing plates, flange plates, etc. vEccentricity Where a load or reaction is applied eccentric to the centerline of the web or CONSULTING ENGINEERS where the centroid of the stiffener does not lie on the center-line of the web, 02 07 - 2010

Buckling Resistance of stiffener Should be based on the design compressive stress fcd of a strut, the radius of gyration being taken about the axis parallel to the web
v

The effective section is the full area of the stiffener together with an effective length of web on each side of the centerline of the stiffeners, limited to 20 times the web thickness

The effective length for intermediate stiffeners used in calculating the buckling resistance, should be taken as 0.7*Length of stiffener

The effective length for load carrying stiffeners a) KL=0.7*L when flange is restrained against rotation in the plane of stiffener( by other structural; elements) b) KL=L when the flange is not restrained

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Webs subjected to combined bending and shear The combination of bending & shear makes the stress conditions in the girder web more complex. vIn the region , the failure takes place by the shear mechanism. In the region beyond point c, the failure takes place in any of the following ways: *yielding of the flange *inward buckling of the compression flange *lateral buckling of the flange
v

The coexistence of the bending moment with shear leads to the following additional considerations a) Reduced buckling stress of the web b) Reduced plastic moment capacity of the flanges due to axial stresses, caused by the bending moment c) The consequences of bending stresses on the web yielding capacity
v

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Steps involved in the design of plate girders Assume the self weight of the girder. The s.w may be assumed as equal to W/200 (where w is in kN/m and W the total factored load applied in kN).Estimate live loads. Calculate max. B.M &S.F

The optimum Depth & thickness of the P.G are determined. Check the web thickness according to clause 8.6.1.1 & 8.6.1.2 of the code and adopt a suitable thickness

The flange area is computed. Select suitable flange plate thickness & width. Classify the flange, plastic flanges are preferred.

Check for moment capacity as per clause 8.2.1 or 8.2.2 depending on whether the P.G is laterally supported or unsupported.

Check for shear resistance of the web using either post-critical method or tension field action method. (Clause 8.4.2.2(a) or 8.4.2.2(b))

Design of the connection b/w the flange plate & web plate Design of bearing stiffeners & their connection (Clause 8.7.4,8.7.5 & 8.7.9 of the code) Design of LCS, if required & their connections.(Clause 8.7.5)

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Design of IS, if required (Clause 8.7.2 & 8.7.1.2) & their connection (Clause 8.7.2.6) Design of web splice and its connections. Design of flange splice and its connections.

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"Crushing" resistance, where crushing is local yielding of the web without any buckling, "Crippling" resistance, where crippling is localised buckling of the web in the presence of plasticity, "Buckling" of the web occurs with outof-plane deformation over most of the depth of the web.

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