Portal frames

 A portal frame is
distinguished by the
rigid connection of
the rafters to the
posts of the frame so
that under load
moments are
distributed through
the rafter and the
post.

Types of portal frames:

•Steel portal frames

•Reinforced concrete portal frames

•Timber portal frames

 • Steel portal frames:
Short & medium span frames

Long span frames

Short and medium span

frames the apex or ridge,
where the rafters connect, is
generally made as an on-site,
rigid bolted connection for
convenience in transporting
half portal frames .

Short-span portal frames may be fabricated off site as

one frame. Medium-span portal frames are generally
fabricated in two halves for ease of transport and are
assembled on site with bolted connections of the rafters
at the ridge, with high strength friction grip (hsfg)
bolts.
Long-span portal frames may
have a pin joint connection at
the ridge to allow some flexure
between the rafters of the frame
which are pin jointed to
foundation bases to allow
flexure of posts due to spread at
the knees under load.
Long-spansteel portal frames
have the connection of the
rafters to the posts at the
knee, haunched to make the
connection deeper than the Long-span portal frames
main rafter section for
additional stiffness.

In long-span steel portal frames the posts and lowest length

of the rafters, towards the knee, may often be fabricated from
cut and welded I-sections so that the post section and part of
the rafter is wider at the knee than at the base and ridge of
the rafter
The haunched connection of
the rafters to the posts can be
fabricated either by welding a
cut I-section to the underside
of the rafter, as illustrated in
Fig. 23, or by cutting and
bending the bottom flange of
the rafter and welding in a
steel gusset plate.

The junction of the rafters

at the ridge is often
stiffened by welding cut
I-sections to the
underside of the rafters at
the bolted site connection
as shown in Fig. 25.
• The haunched
connection of the rafters
to the posts can be
fabricated either by
welding a cut I-section
to the underside of the
rafter, as illustrated in
Fig. 23, or by haunch, a
fixed base is often used.
It will be seen from Fig.
26 that the steel base
plate, which is welded
through gusset plates to
the post of the portal
frame, is set level on a
bed of cement grout on
the concrete pad
foundation and is
secured by four holding-
down bolts set or cast
into the concrete
foundation.