University Of Anbar

College of Engineering,
Civil Engineering Department.
Design of Steel Structure, Course 2018-2019 Chapter Five : bending members

5.6 Theory of Plastic Analysis

The basic plastic theory has been shown to be a major change in the distribution of stresses
after the stresses at certain points in a structure reach the yield stress. The theory is that those
parts of the structure that have been stressed to the yield stress cannot resist additional
stresses. They instead will yield the amount required to permit the extra load or stresses to be
transferred to other parts of the structure where the stresses are below the yield stress, and
thus in the elastic range and able to resist increased stress. Plasticity can be said to serve the
purpose of equalizing stresses in cases of overload.
For this discussion, the stress–strain diagram is assumed to have the idealized shape shown in
Fig. 4-6-1. The yield stress and the proportional limit are assumed to occur at the same point
for this steel, and the stress–strain diagram is assumed to be a perfectly straight line in the
plastic range. Beyond the plastic range there is a range of strain hardening. This latter range
could theoretically permit steel members to withstand additional stress, but from a practical
standpoint the strains which arise are so large that they cannot be considered. Furthermore,
inelastic buckling will limit the ability of a section to develop a moment greater than Mp, even if
strain hardening is significant.

Figure 4-6-1

5.7 The Collapse Mechanism

 A statically determinate beam will fail if one
plastic hinge develops.To illustrate this fact, the
simple beam of constant cross section loaded with
a concentrated load at midspan, shown in Fig. 4-7-
1 (a), is considered. Should the load be increased
until a plastic hinge is developed at the point of
maximum moment (underneath the load in this
case), an unstable structure will have been
created, as shown in part (b) of the figure. Any
Figure 4-7-1
further increase in load will cause collapse. Pn
represents the nominal, or theoretical, maximum load that the beam can support.

DESIGN OF STEEL STRUCTURE, COURSE BY : Asst. Prof. Dr. Sheelan M. Hama Page No. 1
University Of Anbar
College of Engineering,
Civil Engineering Department.
Design of Steel Structure, Course 2018-2019 Chapter Five : bending members

 For a statically indeterminate structure to fail, it is

necessary for more than one plastic hinge to form. The
number of plastic hinges required for failure of
statically indeterminate structures will be shown to
vary from structure to structure, but may never be less
than two. The fixed-end beam of Fig. 4-7-2, part (a),
cannot fail unless the three plastic hinges shown in
part (b) of the figure are developed.

Figure 4-7-2

 Although a plastic hinge may have formed in a statically indeterminate structure, the
load can still be increased without causing failure if the geometry of the structure
permits.
 The plastic hinge will act like a real hinge insofar as increased loading is concerned.
 As the load is increased, there is a redistribution of moment, because the plastic hinge
can resist no more moment.
 As more plastic hinges are formed in the structure, there will eventually be a sufficient
number of them to cause collapse.
 Actually, some additional load can be carried after this time, before collapse occurs, as
the stresses go into the strain hardening range, but the deflections that would occur are
too large to be permissible.

The propped beam of Fig. 4-7-3, part (a), is an

example of a structure that will fail after two plastic
hinges develop. Three hinges are required for
collapse, but there is a real hinge on the right end. In
this beam, the largest elastic moment caused by the
design concentrated load is at the fixed end. As the
magnitude of the load is increased, a plastic hinge
will form at that point.

Figure 4-7-3

 The load may be further increased until the moment at some other point (here it will be
at the concentrated load) reaches the plastic moment.
 Additional load will cause the beam to collapse. The arrangement of plastic hinges and
perhaps real hinges that permit collapse in a structure is called the mechanism. Parts
(b) of Figs. 4-7-1, 4-7-2, and 4-7-3 show mechanisms for various beams.

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University Of Anbar
College of Engineering,
Civil Engineering Department.
Design of Steel Structure, Course 2018-2019 Chapter Five : bending members

5.8 The Virtual-Work Method

One very satisfactory method used for the plastic analysis of structures is the virtualwork
method.
 The structure in question is assumed to be loaded to its nominal capacity Mn, and is
then assumed to deflect through a small additional displacement after the ultimate
load is reached.
 The work performed by the external loads during this displacement is equated to
the internal work absorbed by the hinges. For this discussion, the small-angle
theory is used.
 By this theory, the sine of a small angle equals the tangent of that angle and also
equals the same angle expressed in radians. In the pages to follow, the author uses
these values interchangeably because the small displacements considered here
produce extremely small rotations or angles.
The uniformly loaded fixed-ended beam Fig. 4-8-1.
This beam and its collapse mechanism are shown. Owing to symmetry, the rotations at the end
plastic hinges are equal, and they are represented by in the figure; thus, the rotation at the
middle plastic hinge will be 2θ.
The work performed by the total external load (wnL) is equal to wnL times the average
deflection of the mechanism. The average deflection equals one-half the deflection at the
center plastic hinge (1/2 x θ x L/2).
The external work is equated to the internal work absorbed by the hinges, or to the sum of Mn
at each plastic hinge times the angle through which it works. The resulting expression can be
solved for Mn and wn as follows:

Figure 4-8-1
Plastic analysis can be handled in a similar manner
for the propped beam of Fig. 4-8-2. There, the
collapse mechanism is shown, and the end rotations
(which are equal to each other) are assumed to equal
θ.
The work performed by the external load Pn as it
moves through the distance (θ x L/2) is equated to
the internal work performed by the plastic moments

Figure 4-8-2
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University Of Anbar
College of Engineering,
Civil Engineering Department.
Design of Steel Structure, Course 2018-2019 Chapter Five : bending members

at the hinges; note that there is no moment at the real hinge on the right end of the beam.

The fixed-end beam of Fig. 4-8-3, together with its collapse mechanism and assumed angle
rotations, is considered next. From this figure, the values of Mn and Pn can be determined by
virtual work as follows:

Figure 4-8-3
The plastic analysis of the propped beam of Fig. 4-8-4 is done by the virtual-work method. The
beam with its two concentrated loads is shown, together with four possible collapse
mechanisms and the necessary calculations. It is true that the mechanisms of parts (b), (d), and
(e) of the figure do not control, but such a fact is not obvious to the average student until he or
she makes the virtual-work calculations for each case. Actually, the mechanism of part (e) is
based on the assumption that the plastic moment is reached at both of the concentrated loads
simultaneously (a situation that might
very well occur).

Note: The value for which the collapse load Pn is the smallest in terms of Mn is the correct value
(or the value where Mn is the greatest in terms of Pn ). For this beam, the second plastic hinge
forms at the Pn concentrated load, and Pn equals 0.154 Mn.

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University Of Anbar
College of Engineering,
Civil Engineering Department.
Design of Steel Structure, Course 2018-2019 Chapter Five : bending members

5.9

Figure 4-8-4
5.10 Location of Plastic Hinge for Uniform Loadings
There was no difficulty in locating the plastic hinge for the uniformly loaded fixed-end beam,
but for other beams with uniform loads, such as propped or continuous beams, the problem
may be rather difficult.
The elastic moment diagram for this beam is shown as the solid line in part (b) of the figure. As
the uniform load is increased in magnitude, a plastic hinge will first form at the fixed end. At
this time, the beam will, in effect, be a “simple” beam (so far as increased loads are concerned)
with a plastic hinge on one end and a real hinge on the other. Subsequent increases in the load
will cause the moment to change, as represented by the dashed line in part (b) of the figure.
This process will continue until the moment at some other point (a distance x from the right
support in the figure) reaches Mn and creates another plastic hinge.
The virtual-work expression for the collapse mechanism of the beam shown in part (c) of Fig.
4-9-1 is written as follows:
 L x  1
M n        w n L   L x   
 x  2
Solving this equation for Mn, taking dMn/dx = 0, the value of x can be calculated to equal
0.414L.This value is also applicable to uniformly loaded end spans of continuous beams with
simple end supports.

DESIGN OF STEEL STRUCTURE, COURSE BY : Asst. Prof. Dr. Sheelan M. Hama Page No. 5
University Of Anbar
College of Engineering,
Civil Engineering Department.
Design of Steel Structure, Course 2018-2019 Chapter Five : bending members

Figure 4-9-1

The beam and its collapse mechanism are redrawn in Fig. 4-9-2, and the following expression
for the plastic moment and uniform load are written by the virtual-work procedure:

Figure 4-9-2

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University Of Anbar
College of Engineering,
Civil Engineering Department.
Design of Steel Structure, Course 2018-2019 Chapter Five : bending members

Example 4-2
A W18 x 55 has been selected for
the beam shown in Fig. 4-2.Using 50
ksi steel and assuming full lateral
support, determine the value of wn.

Solution Figure 4-2

From the Table 3-2 of the AISC
Manual. Zx = 112 in3

Example 4-3
A W12 x 72 is used for the beam and columns of the frame shown in Fig. 4-3. If Fy = 50 ksi,
determine the value of Pn.

Solution
The virtual-work expressions are written for parts (b), (c), and (d) of Fig. 4-3 and shown with
the respective parts of the figure. The combined beam and sidesway case is found to be the
critical case, and from it, the value of Pn is determined as follows:

Zx = 108 in3

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University Of Anbar
College of Engineering,
Civil Engineering Department.
Design of Steel Structure, Course 2018-2019 Chapter Five : bending members

Figure 4-3

1  1  50x 108 

Pn  M n     Fy Z    
1
  56.25k
8 8  8  12 

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