1

Member Design - Beam-Columns

Background and design according to EC3

2

Introduction

 This lecture is concerned with beam-columns

 These are members subject to combined bending
and compression
 In practice most members in framed structures
are beam-columns
 The treatment deals with
– beam-columns with uniaxial bending, and considers
–cross-section checks on laterally restrained members
–overall buckling on laterally restrained members
–lateral torsional buckling on laterally unrestrained
members
–biaxial bending is also introduced
3

Beam-columns in uniaxial
bending
x
 Beam-columns N
bending about
L
the major axis
Lateral M
only restraints
z

M
y
N
Column deflects in zx plane only
4

Beam-columns in uniaxial
bending

 Behaviour is characterised by a load-

deflection curve
 The theoretical response depends on the
assumptions - eg linear elastic or plastic
behaviour
 Behaviour can be compared with
– beams (no axial load)
– columns (no bending)
5

Elastic response
N

 Rate of deflection Loading LLinear

near elastic beam
b am M
M,N
increases with
load Elastic critical axial load (M=0) v
N cr
 This is due to the
bending effect of
the axial load on a M
deforming member
N
 The curve is Elastic Beam-column
interaction
asymptotic to the
critical load in
compression

O In-plane deflection v
6

Inelastic response

 The rate of
deflection
increases
initially with load
 The axial load
effectively
reduces the
plastic moment
capacity of the
section
 Beyond peak
load the curve
descends
 Cross-sectional behaviour -
7

Class 1 and 2 cross-sections

 If overall buckling does not occur, the

cross-section can develop full plasticity
 Various combinations of bending
moment (M) and axial load (N) can
cause this ranging from
– N=0, M=Mply.Rd , the full plastic moment, to
– M=0, N=Nply.Rd , the squash load.
 Cross-sectional behaviour -
8

Class 1 and 2 cross-sections

 The precise relationship between M

and N depends on the shape of the
section and the position of the neutral
axis.
 For example for I sections the neutral
axis may be in the web or flange
 Cross-sectional behaviour -
9

Class 1 and 2 cross-sections

b
fy
 Neutral axis in web tf
(equation 1) tw NM
y y yn
NM=2fytwyn h
MN

MN=fybtf(h-tf)+fy{(h-2tf)2/4- NM, MN according to Eq. (1)

yn2}tw –fy

(a) yn < (h – 2tf) / 2

 Neutral axis in flange b fy

(equation 2)
NM=fy{tw(h-2tf)+2b(tf-h/2+yn)} tw
tf NM

MN=fyb(h/2-yn)(h-yn}tf h
y y MN

yn
NM, MN according to Eq. (2)

–fy

(b) yn > (h – 2tf) / 2

 Cross-sectional behaviour -
10

Class 1 and 2 cross-sections

 EC3 provides simplified relationships

– MNyRd = Mpl.y(1-n)(1-0,5a) but  Mpl.yRd (eq 3)
where n=NSd/Npl.Rd and a=(A-2btf)/A  0,5
 Further simplifications are made for common
cross-section shapes
 For example, for I sections:
– major axis bending - MN,y = 1,11 Mpl.y(1-n)
– minor axis bending - MN,z = 1,56 Mpl.z(1-n)(0,6+n)
 Cross-sectional behaviour -
11

Class 1 and 2 cross-sections

 The simplified EC3 relationships are quite precise
N / Npl

1,0 Plastic neutral axis

Iyn
0,8 Centroidal axis

0,6

0,4 Neutral axis

in flange
0,2 Exact Eqs. (1)/(2)
EC3 approx. Eq. (3) Neutral axis
in web
0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0 M / Mpl
 Cross-sectional behaviour -
12

Class 3 cross-sections

 Class 3 sections are restricted to elastic

behaviour
 The failure criterion is first yield.
 This occurs at the point of maximum
compresive bending
 Maximum stress is c + b
 First yield occurs when fyd = c + b
 Cross-sectional behaviour -
13

Class 4 cross-sections

 Class 4 sections are liable to local

buckling prior to attaining first yield
 Reduced section properties are used
for calculating stresses
 These are based on effective widths for
slender compression elements
 c + b  fyd
14

Overall stability

 The treatment so far has been

concerned with cross-sectional
behaviour only
 Overall stability must also be
considered
15

Overall stability
N
M
 The total moment M
in a beam- y
x
column may be
considered as
the sum of
– primary v Nv M
L
moment M Moment
– secondary d2v
=EI –––
dx2
moment Nv

M
M
N
16

Overall stability - elastic analysis

 The maximum deflection, vmax, and

moment, Mmax, is related to the Euler
critical load PEy by -
M  N
v max  sec 1
N 2 PEy

 N
M max  M sec
2 PEy
17

Overall stability - first order

approximation

 Consider 1st order deflection (due to

end moments alone) and moment
amplified by 1/(1-N/PEy)
 Then: ML2 1
v max 
8 EI y 1  N / PEy

1
M max M
1  N / PEy
 Comparison of exact and
18

approximate forms
N / P
Ey

1, 0

0, 8 A p p r o x i m ati o n –
E q s. ( 7) a n d ( 8)

E x a c t f or m o m e nt – E q . ( 5 )
0, 6

E x a c t f o r d e fl e cti o n – E q. ( 4 )

0, 4

0,2

v M
m ax m ax
– – – –– – – – – or – – – – –
2
M L / 8 EI
y
M

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
19

Overall stability

 The maximum elastic stress max can be

written:
M max
 max   c   b
M

 The condition for maximum elastic

stress equal to fy then becomes
c b
  1,0
fy f y (1  N / PEy )
20
Overall stability - relationship
between c, b and 

c / fy
 This can be solved
for different values of 1,0
c and b and a
range of slenderness
ratios
 the solution can be
represented
graphically

Slenderness
increasing
b / fy

0 1,0
 Modification to allow for buckling
21

under pure axial load

 According to this as b  0, c  fy
 It must be therefore be modified to allow
for buckling under pure axial load
 This is given by the Euler stress Ey

PEy  2 EI y 2 E
 Ey   
2
A AL 2y
 22

Overall stability
c / fy
 Combining the 1,0
equation for max = fy
Ey / fy
and the Euler stress
gives modified
interaction curves Ey / fy

Ey / fy

Slenderness
increasing
b / fy

0 1,0
23

Overall stability - EC3 treatment

 The treatment in EC3 is based on the

above approach
 Treatment is modified to account for
practical conditions such as initial out-
of-straightness and residual stresses
 Expressed as forces and moments
rather than stresses
 Allows for less severe bending patterns
24

EC3 rules

 Expressed as interaction equations

between NSd and MySd
 Includes ythecolumn
bucklingreduction factor
 Includes a factor to account for
bending moment distribution
 Different expressions for different
classes of cross-section
25

EC3 rules for Class 1 & 2 sections

N Sd kyM ySd
 1
 y Af y W ply f y

 y N Sd
ky  1  but  k y  1,5
 y Af y

W pl , y
 y    2  My  4   1 but   y  0,9
Wel , y
26

EC3 rules for Class 3 & 4 sections

 Class 3 sections
– as above with Wply replaced by Wely

 Class 4 sections
– use effective section Aeff, Weff.y
– additional eccentricity included to allow for
shift of neutral axis due to local buckling
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Equivalent uniform moment factor

 End moments β mψ = 1,8 - 0,7ψ

M1
M 1



 Moments due to lateral loads - udl βm= 1,3

concentrated loads βm= 1,4

Mo

Mo
28

Equivalent uniform moment factor

 Lateral loads and end moments

M
Q
M
1
 M βM = βMψ + MQ(βMQ - βMψ)/M

M
where
Q
M
1  M MQ = |max M| due to lateral loads only

 Moment diagram without change of sign

M M = |max M|
1  M

M
Q  Moment diagram with change of sign
M = |max M| + |min M|
29

Laterally unrestrained beam-

columns
x
Beam-columns can buckle N
by deflecting laterally and
L
twisting (as normal beams)
M
Column deflects in zx plane
Column then buckles by z
– deflecting in yx plane and
– twisting about x axis M
May be elastic or after some y
N
yielding (inelastic)
 Lateral-torsional behaviour of
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beam-columns

Load Load

(1) Elastic buckling (1) Elastic buckling

(2) Inelastic buckling (2) Inelastic buckling

First yield
Out-of-plane deformation In-plane deflection

(a) Out-of-plane behaviour (b) In-plane behaviour

 Elastic lateral-torsional buckling -
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governing equations

 Critical combinations of N & M given by

M2  N  N 
2
 1  1  
i0 PE PE 0  PEz  PE 0 

where
– i0 is the polar radius of gyration
– Pez is the minor axis critical load
– PE0 is the torsional buckling load
32

Elastic lateral-torsional buckling

equations
I y  Iz
 Polar radius of gyration i0 
A

 Minor axis critical load  EI z

2
PEz 
L2

GI t   EI w 
2
 Torsional buckling load PE 0  2 1  
2 
i0  GI t L 
 Lateral-torsional behaviour of
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beam-columns
This does not allow for amplification of in-
plane moments by the axial load
This can be approximated as
M
1  N PEy

The interaction formula can then be written

N 1 M
 1
PEz 1  N PEy M cr
 EC3 rules for laterally
34

unrestrained beam-columns
Similar to in-plane behaviour, so for class 1 & 2:

N Sd k LT M y S d
 1
 z Af y  LT W ply f y

 LT N Sd
k LT  1  but  k LT  1,0
 z Af y

 
 LT  0,15  c 2  MLT  1  but   LT  0,9
35

The factor kLT

 kLT depends on
– the level of axial load
– the member slenderness c
– the pattern of primary moments - 
 The maximum value of kLT is 1,0
 Note that failure due to excessive
deflection in the plane of the web should
also be checked
36

Biaxial bending of beam-columns

 3-dimensional analysis in biaxial

bending is extremely complex
 EC3 adopts a semi-empirical approach
consistent with rules for uniaxial
bending, eg for class 1 & 2 sections:

N Sd k y M y S d kz M z S d
  1
 min Af y W ply f y W plz f y
 Biaxial bending - cross-sections
37

checks

 If overall checks use a reduced equivalent

moment factor,  < 1, local cross-section
checks are necessary
 EC3: {MySd/ MNyRd} + {MzSd/ MNzRd}  1
where  and  depend on type of section
 A simpler, conservative, approach is
NSd/ NplRd + MySd/ MNyRd + MzSd/ MNzRd  1