Plastic Analysis

(Steel Frame)

Ir. Dr. Zainorizuan Mohd Jaini

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engneering
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
 Content

No Topic Slide Outcomes

1 Introduction 3
2 Design Prospective 5 a) Understand the plastic
3 Stress-Strain Curve 7 hinge and mechanism.
4 Plastic Moment 10 b) Identify the location of
5 Method of Analysis 13 plastic hinge for steel
6 Mechanism 16 frame.
7 Steel Frame 18
c) Analyse the collapse load
8 Example 1 22 and plastic moment of
9 Example 2 24 steel frame.
10 Example 3 27

2
 Introduction
❑ For steel structure that governed by material and geometry
nonlinearity, the plastic analysis is crucial to determine its
fragility.
❑ Plastic analysis is an alternative to the elastic analysis, which
provide rapid and rational approaches. It controls the economy
regarding the weight of steel structure since the required
section is basically smaller than those required by the elastic
analysis.
❑ It has main application in statically indeterminate steel frame,
where the beams are jointly pinned or partially rigid connected
to columns.
❑ Defined as the analysis in which the criterion is in the ultimate
load and the material characteristic is beyond the elastic limit.
❑ Plastic analysis is derived from failure mode in which plastic
hinge forms.
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 Introduction
❑ Plastic hinge is used to describe the deformation of steel
structure (not limited) where plastic moment occurs.
❑ By inserting plastic hinge at the ultimate load, a kinematic
mechanism permitting an unbounded deformation of steel
structure can be formed, it is known as the collapse.

4
 Design Prospective
❑ In design, plastic analysis must be performed to identify the
collapse, so that proper resistance can be provided:

5
 Design Prospective
❑ Collapse in steel structure is unpredictable due to various
factors, notably fatigue and microcrack:

6
 Stress-Strain Curve
❑ Plastic analysis and failure mode of steel structure are usually
based on the idealization of stress-strain curve as perfectly
plastic.

7
 Stress-Strain Curve
❑ Elastic stage
‒ Stress linear with strain, governed by strength and elasticity.

❑ Plastic stage
‒ Stress increases and plasticity spread until an entire cross
section of steel structure has yielded.
‒ The yielded section creates a plastic hinge and lost all
resistances to rotations. At this stage, the steel structure
attains its maximum possible moment capacity called the
plastic moment, Mp.
‒ The development of the plastic hinge caused a redistribution
of the bending moments across the steel structure. The
redistribution enables the steel structure to carry more loads
after first plastic hinge has formed.

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 Stress-Strain Curve
❑ Strain hardening
‒ Further increase in stress, the bending moments at the
section of the two plastic hinges remain constant at their
plastic moments and it keep increasing until the third plastic
hinge forms.
‒ The process of the formation of successive plastic hinges
continue until the collapse of steel structure. The steel
structure has now become so-called mechanism.
‒ Sufficient number of plastic hinges are required to produce
the collapse.

Collapse load (ultimate load/ yielding load) and plastic

moment can be determined using plastic analysis. It considers
the behaviour of steel structure in plastic limit before the
collapse.
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 Plastic Moment
❑ Consider a steel structure with cross section (b x h) is
subjected to bending, M due to point load, P.
❑ The stress distribution can be illustrated as:

b σ σy σy

Fc

h
z=h/2

Ft

Elastic Plastic

❑ In the elastic stage, bending stress is represented by (My)/I

where M = bending moment, y = neutral axis and I = moment of
inertia.
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 Plastic Moment
❑ As the point load is increased, the stresses in the steel
structure reach to the yield stress.
❑ At this stage, the moment which has converted the stresses
into the yield stress is said to be as plastic moment.
❑ The structure cannot take up any additional moment but may
maintain the moment for some amount of rotation and acts like
plastic hinge (having no capacity to resist moment).
❑ Plastic hinge allows free rotation about itself.
❑ In the calculation of plastic moment, the term shape factor (the
ratio of plastic moment to yield moment) has its own
importance and it usually depend on the shape and cross-
section of steel structure.
❑ If the plastic hinge increases in number than their degree of
indeterminacy, the steel structure move towards collapse.

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 Plastic Moment
❑ When outer section achieved the yield stress, σy, bending
moment due to yield stress become yield moment, My.
M y .y M y . ( h / 2 ) M y h
y = = =
I I 2I
2I y 2 ( bh3 / 12 )  y  bh 2 
My = = = y   = yZ
h h  6 
❑ As the load increased, yielding spreads inward to form half
plastic. When the entire cross section become fully plastic, the
bending moment now is known as plastic moment, Mp.

M p = Fz = F  
h
2 During this condition,
the plastic hinge is
 bh  h   bh
2
 created
Mp =  y    = y   =  y Zp
 2  2   4 
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 Method of Analysis
❑ Two methods can be used to solve the problems in plastic
analysis:
a) Graphical method (limited to elements)
b) Virtual work method
❑ The theory of plastic analysis based on:
a) Stable structure
b) Steel in ductile behaviour
c) The main point in plastic action is the bending neglecting
the influence of any shear force and axial load that may be
present
❑ The advantages of plastic analysis:
a) Reduce the risk of failure due to the additional load or
calculation error.
b) Give the additional safety to steel structure.
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 Method of Analysis
❑ Theorem in plastic analysis >> The three following conditions
must be satisfied by a structure in its collapse state:

1) The equilibrium condition

The system of bending moments must be in equilibrium
with the applied load.
ΣFx = 0 , ΣFy = 0 and ΣM = 0

2) The yield condition

The bending moment may not exceed the plastic moment,
Mp at any point.

3) The mechanism condition

Sufficient plastic hinges must have formed to reduce all or
part of the structure to a mechanism.

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 Method of Analysis
❑ Assumptions in plastic analysis:
1) Obey the Hooke’s Law if the moment is not exceed the yield
moment, Mp.
2) The cross sectional area are assumed symmetrical about
the major axis so that plastic moment takes the same value
whether the bending moment is hogging or sagging.
3) A cross section is assumed elastic and rigid until the plastic
moment is reached at which point a hinge forms and the
rotational stiffness becomes zero.
4) Neglecting the influence of any axial load or shear force that
may be presented.
5) Plastic moment (the relationship of stress-strain) must be
considered as:

 M = ( M.y ) / I M y =  y .Z M p =  y .Z p
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 Mechanism
❑ When a structure is in elastic stage, the deformation occurs
and it will show a resistance against any distortions. Such
condition is known as structure.
❑ On the other hand, if no resistance is set up against
deformation, then it is known as a mechanism.
❑ Mechanism is related the location of plastic hinges and may
occur individually in beams or columns or combination both
elements.
❑ The location of plastic hinges:
‒ Under point load/ centre of uniform distributed load*
‒ Fixed ended support*
‒ Joint of frame*
‒ Continuous supports (pinned/ roller)

*Always happen in steel frame

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 Mechanism
❑ Consider the following simple frame:
w
‒ At joint of structure which
B C is has two members; the
plastic hinge is created at
the weakest member or at
P the smallest cross
sectional area.
‒ At the joint with more than
A D three members, the
plastic hinge is created in
❑ Plastic moment, Mp = 6 the member itself even
(location of plastic hinge) the cross sectional area is
bigger than other
members.
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18
Steel Frame

Multi-storey Gable frame Simple frame

 Steel Frame
❑ Steel frame consists of beams and columns, where the beams
are basically considered as simply-support otherwise specified
as continuous.
❑ Certain height of columns are connected using splice system
that also prone to the mechanism.
❑ As the deformation at collapse is considerably larger than
elastic ones, it is assumed that the steel frame remains rigid
between supports and rotation occurs at the plastic hinges.
❑ In the mechanism, various failure must be evaluated. The
collapse loads corresponding to various failure are obtained by
equating the internal work at the plastic hinges to the external
work by imposed load during the virtual displacement.
❑ This requires evaluation of displacements and rotations (slope
deflections).

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 Steel Frame
❑ Plastic analysis for steel frame can be conducted using the
virtual work method.

Internal work (F x d) = External work (M x θ)

❑ Type of mechanism for steel frame (simple, multi-bay, multi-

storey):
1) Beam mechanism
Free Combined
2) Column mechanism mechanism
+ mechanism
3) Sway mechanism
❑ Determine the free mechanism for steel frame.

Me = N – d

where, N = number of plastic hinge, d = number of redundant

(d = R – 3), R = reaction occurred.
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 Steel Frame
❑ For the principal calculation, consider the beam from simple
frame:
w
hE
TanE = E =  =
θB θD L
hE hE =  L
θE hE  L
D = = =
L L
L L E = C + D = 2

❑ Plastic hinges occur at B and D (joints) and E (under the point

load), hence the equilibrium in work done:
WL ( hE ) = Mp ( B ) + Mp ( C ) + Mp ( E )
WL2
WL (  L ) = Mp (  ) + Mp (  ) + Mp ( 2 ) Mp =
4
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 Example 1
❑ Determine the collapse load, Pu for the simple frame as shown
in the figure below.
P

P/2

L/2

L/2 L/2

Free mechanism; Me = N – d, N = 5, R = 6, d = R – 3 = 3,
hence Me = 5 – 3 = 2. Total mechanism = Me + 1 = 3.
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 Example 1
❑ Mode failure 1 – beam mechanism BC, plastic hinge occurred
at B, C and E.

P = 16Mp/L

❑ Mode failure 2 – sway mechanism ABCD, plastic hinge

occurred at A, B, C and D.

P = 16Mp/L

❑ Mode failure 3 – combined mechanism ABCD, plastic hinge

occurred at A, C, D and E.

P = 10.67Mp/L Maximum collapse load

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 Example 2
❑ Determine the collapse load, Pu for the multi-bay frame as
shown in the figure below.
4P 5P

3P
D 2Mp E F 3Mp G H

2L
Mp 2Mp 2Mp

A B C

L L 1.5L 1.5L

Free mechanism; Me = N – d, N = 10, R = 9, d = R – 3 = 6,

hence Me = 10 – 6 = 4. Total mechanism = Me + 1 = 5.
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 Example 2
❑ Mode failure 1 – beam mechanism DF, plastic hinge occurred
at D, E and F.

P = 1.75Mp/L

❑ Mode failure 2 – beam mechanism FH, plastic hinge occurred

at F, G, C and H.

P = 1.47Mp/L

❑ Mode failure 3 – sway mechanism ADFHCB, plastic hinge

occurred at A, B, C, D, F and h.

P = 1.67Mp/L Maximum collapse load

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 Example 2
❑ Mode failure 4 – combined mechanism, sway mechanism and
beam mechanism FH, plastic hinge occurred at A, B, C, D, G
and H.

P = 1.19Mp/L

❑ Mode failure 5 – combined mechanism, sway mechanism and

beam mechanism DF and FH, plastic hinge occurred at A, B, C
E, F, G and H.

P = 1.31Mp/L

❑ From five failure modes, the maximum collapse load occurred

at mode failure 4, hence,

Maximum collapse load = 1.19Mp/L

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 Example 3
❑ Determine the plastic moment, Mp for the multi-storey frame as
shown in the figure below.
20kN
Free mechanism;
40kN
Me = N – d, C D

N = 12,
4m
R = 6, 40kN
d = R – 3 = 3,
hence Me = 12 – 3 = 9. B E

4m
Total mechanism
Me + 1 = 10.
A F

4m 4m
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 Example 3
❑ Plastic hinges occur at the following points:
‒ In the case of three members for a joint, plastic hinges occur
at member itself rather the joint.

C D
At B, if the frame sways to
the left, there is no Mp as
beam to column is 90°.

Sway mechanism at point

B E E, where rotation of beam
to column is 2θ.

A F

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