SAMPLE PROBLEMS: UNIT 2
A column (compression member) in the upper story of a building is subject to the following
loads:
Dead load: 485 kN compression
Floor live load: 205 kN compression
Roof live load: 85 kN compression
Snow: 89 kN compression
a. Determine the controlling load combination for LRFD and the corresponding factored load.
b. If the resistance factor φ is 0.90, what is the required nominal strength?
c. Determine the controlling load combination for ASD and the corresponding required service
load strength.
d. If the safety factor Ω is 1.67, what is the required nominal strength based on the required
service load strength?
SAMPLE PROBLEMS: UNIT 3
PROBLEM NO. 1
Determine the net area of the 10mm x 200mm plate shown in below. The plate is connected at
its end with two lines of 19mm bolts.
PROBLEM NO. 2
A single-angle tension member, an L 90mm x 90mm x 10mm, is connected to a gusset plate with
22-mm-diameter bolts as shown in the figure. A36 steel is used. The service loads are 155 kN
dead load and 67 kN live load. Investigate this member for compliance with the AISC/NSCP
Specification. Assume that the effective net area is 85% of the computed net area.
a. Use LRFD.
b. Use ASD.
PROBLEM NO. 3
Determine the effective net area for the tension member shown:
PROBLEM NO. 4
An angle with staggered fasteners in each leg is shown. A36 steel is used, and holes are for 22
mm diameter bolts.
a. Determine the design strength for LRFD.
b. Determine the allowable strength for ASD.
PROBLEM NO. 5
Compute the block shear strength of the tension member shown below. The holes are for 22-
mm.3-diameter bolts, and A36 steel is used.
a. Use LRFD.
b. Use ASD.
PROBLEM NO. 6
A tension member with a length of 1.75 m must resist a service dead load of 80 kN and a service
live load of 231 kN. Select a member with a rectangular cross section. Use A36 steel and assume
a connection with one line of 22-mm-diameter bolts.
SAMPLE PROBLEMS: UNIT 4
PROBLEM NO. 1
A W12 x 50 is used as a column to support an axial compressive load of 645 kN. The length is 6
m, and the ends are pinned. Without regard to load or resistance factors, investigate this
member for stability. (The grade of steel need not be known: The critical buckling load is a
function of the modulus of elasticity, not the yield stress or ultimate tensile strength.)
PROBLEM NO. 2
A W14 x 74 of A992 steel has a length of 6 meters and pinned ends. Compute the design
compressive strength for LRFD and the allowable compressive strength for ASD.
PROBLEM NO. 3
Given: CE Board November 2016. (USE 2001 NSCP)
Properties of WF Column
Area, A=7610mm^2
Slender Ratio, (KL/r) about x-axis = 53.8
Slender Ratio, (KL/r) about y-axis = 144.0
Modulus of elasticity, E = 200000 MPa
Yield Stress Fy = 248 MPa
a. Determine the allowable compressive stress (MPa) based on the slenderness ratio about the
y-axis?
b. Determine the allowable compressive stress (MPa) based on the slenderness ratio about the
x-axis?
c. Find the permissible compressive load.
PROBLEM NO. 4
A W 150 x 30 column has a length of 3.6m and the ends are pinned connected. The steel use is
A36 with Fy=250 MPa and the proportional limit is assumed to be 230 MPa with a factor of
safety of 3.0. Es = 200000 MPa.
a. Determine the allowable compressive stress using Euler’s Formula.
b. Determine the buckling load.
c. Determine the allowable compressive load capacity.
PROBLEM NO. 5
CE Board May 2015. A column is built up from 4 – 300 mm x 16 mm plates, welded to form a box
section having a width of 300 mm along the x-axis and a depth of 332 mm along the y-axis.
Unbraced column length with respect to the x-axis is 12 m.
With respect to the y-axis, the column is braced at third points so that the unbraced length is
4m.
Assume pinned-ends for both axes. Side sway is prevented.
Fy=248MPa
E=200GPa
a. Compute the effective slenderness ratio with respect to the x-axis.
b. Compute the effective slenderness ratio with respect to the y-axis.
c. Compute the axial load capacity (kN) of the built-up section. (USE 2001 NSCP)
PROBLEM NO. 6
A W12 x 65 column section is 8m long pinned at each end and has an additional support in the
weak direction at a point 3.6m from the top. Use Fy = 248MPa 1.2 DL + 1.6LL and K=1.0.
a. Compute the critical slenderness ratio.
b. Compute the critical buckling stress.
c. Compute the nominal compressive strength of the column section.
d. If the column carries a service dead load of 800 kN, determine the safe service live load it can
support.
PROBLEM NO. 7
A W14 x 90 is used as a column to carry the following service axial loads.
PDL = 800 kN and PLL = 2400 kN
The column has a length of 4m and has a fixed support at the top and pin connected at the
bottom. Consider Fy = 345 MPa and E = 200000 MPa.
a. Determine the critical stress and determine if the column is elastic or inelastic.
b. Determine the design strength of the column section.
c. Determine the safety factor of the column section.
PROBLEM NO. 8
A compression member is made up of A36 angle L200x200x18mm with a length of 3 m.
A=6911 mm^2
rx=61.33 mm
ry=61.33 mm
E=200000 MPa
K=1.0
Fy=248MPa
a. Compute the increased slenderness ratio to be used for strength calculations.
b. Compute the flexural buckling stress of the compression member.
c. Compute the design strength of the compression member.
PROBLEM NO. 9
A WT 12x81 is used as a column having a length of 6 m.
Kx= 1.0, Ky=0.80 and Kz=0.80
Use Fy=345 MPa and E=200000 MPa.
a. Compute the Euler’s stress for the x-axis.
b. Compute the flexural buckling strength for the x-axis.
c. Compute the flexural-torsional buckling strength about the y-axis, (axis of symmetry)
PROBLEM NO. 10
A W14 x 74 of A992 steel has a length of 6 meters and pinned ends. Investigate the column for
local stability.
PROBLEM NO. 11
Determine the axial compressive strength of an HSS203.2X101.6X3.2 (HSS 8 x 4 x 1⁄8) with an
effective length of 4.5 m with respect to each principal axis. Use Fy=318 MPa.
SAMPLE PROBLEMS: UNIT 5
PROBLEM NO. 1
For the built-up shape shown below, determine (a) the elastic section modulus S and the yield
moment My and (b) the plastic section modulus Z and the plastic moment Mp. Bending is about
the x-axis, and the steel is A572 Grade 50.
PROBLEM NO. 2
Compute the plastic moment, Mp, for a W10 x 60 of A992 steel.
PROBLEM NO. 3
A simply supported W16 x 31 of A992 steel beam with a span of 9 m loaded with uniformly
distributed load. It supports a reinforced concrete floor slab that provides continuous lateral
support of the compression flange. The service dead load is 2 kN/m. This load is superimposed
on the beam; it does not include the weight of the beam itself. The service live load is 2.45
kN/m. Does this beam have adequate moment strength?
PROBLEM NO. 4
Determine the flexural strength of a W14 x 68 of A572 Grade 50 steel subject to
a. Continuous lateral support.
b. An unbraced length of 6 m with Cb = 1.0.
c. An unbraced length of 9 m with Cb = 1.0.
PROBLEM NO. 5
Determine Cb for a uniformly loaded, simply supported W shape with lateral support at its ends
only.
PROBLEM NO. 6
A simply supported beam with a span length of 14 m is laterally supported at its ends and is
subjected to the following service loads:
Dead load = 1.78 kN/m (including the weight of the beam)
Live load = 4.45 kN/m
If Fy = 345 MPa, is a W14 x 90 adequate?
PROBLEM NO. 7
Check the beam in the previous problem for shear.
PROBLEM NO. 8
Determine the maximum reaction, based on block shear, that can be resisted by the beam
shown below.
PROBLEM NO. 9
Compute the dead load and live load deflections for the beam shown below. If the maximum
permissible live load deflection is L/360, is the beam satisfactory?
PROBLEM NO. 10
Select a standard hot-rolled shape of A992 steel for the beam shown below. The beam has
continuous lateral support and must support a uniform service live load of 65 kN/m. The
maximum permissible live load deflection is L/240.
SAMPLE PROBLEMS: UNIT 6
PROBLEM NO. 1
The shape shown in below is a W18 x 71 with holes in each flange for 24-mm-diameter bolts.
The steel is A992. Compute the nominal flexural strength for an unbraced length of 3 meter. Use
Cb=1.0
PROBLEM NO. 2
Design a bearing plate to distribute the reaction of a W21 x 68 with a span length of 5 m center-
to-center of supports. The total service load, including the beam weight, is 132 kN/m, with equal
parts dead and live load. The beam is to be supported on reinforced concrete walls with f’c = 24
MPa. For the beam, Fy = 345 MPa, and Fy = 248 MPa for the plate.
PROBLEM NO. 3
A W10 x 49 is used as a column and is supported by a concrete pier as shown below. The top
surface of the pier is 450 mm by 450 mm. Design an A36 base plate for a column dead load of
436 kN and a live load of 645 kN. The concrete strength is f’c = 20.7 MPa.
PROBLEM NO. 4
A W21 x 68 is used as a simply supported beam with a span length of 3.7 m. Lateral support of
the compression flange is provided only at the ends. Loads act through the shear center,
producing moments about the x and y axes. The service load moments about the x axis are M Dx =
65 kN-m and MLx = 195 kN-m. Service load moments about the y axis are MDy = 8 kN-m and MLy =
25 kN-m. If A992 steel is used, does this beam satisfy the provisions of the AISC Specification?
Assume that all moments are uniform over the length of the beam.
PROBLEM NO. 5
A roof system consists of trusses of the type shown spaced 4.5 m apart. Purlins are to be placed
at the joints and at the midpoint of each top-chord member. Sag rods will be located at the
center of each purlin. The total gravity load, including an estimated purlin weight, is 2 kPa of
roof surface, with a live-load–to–dead-load ratio of 1.0. Assuming that this is the critical loading
condition, use A36 steel and select a channel shape for the purlins.
SAMPLE PROBLEMS: UNIT 7
PROBLEM NO. 1
The rigid frame shown below is unbraced. Each member is oriented so that its web is in the
plane of the frame. Determine the effective length factor Kx for columns AB and BC.
PROBLEM NO. 2
The beam–column shown below is pinned at both ends and is subjected to the loads as
illustrated. Bending is about the strong axis. Determine whether this member satisfies the
appropriate AISC Specification interaction equation.
SAMPLE PROBLEMS: UNIT 8
PROBLEM NO. 1
Determine the available strength of the bearing-type connection shown below. The bolts are 22mm
A325 in standard holes with threads excluded from shear plane. All plates are A36 steel. Deformation at
bolt holes is a design consideration.
The
PROBLEM NO. 2
The PL 12.5 mm x 140 mm is connected to the gusset with four 20-mm-diameter A325 bolts
with threads not excluded from shear planes as shown below. All plates are A36 steel. Check the
bolt spacing, edge distance, and compute the maximum safe live load PL based on bolt shear and
plate bearing if PD = 70 kN. Deformation at bolt holes is a design consideration.
PROBLEM NO. 3
The PL 12.5 x 160 is connected to a 10mm gusset plate by four 20-mm-diameter Group A bolts
with threads not excluded from shear planes (Type N). Both plates are A36 steel with class B
surface. No slip is permitted. Determine the strength of the connection.
PROBLEM NO. 4
A 20-mm-diameter A325 bolt with threads not excluded form shear plane is subjected to the
following forces:
Tensile Force:
Dead Load = 25 kN
Live Load = 52 N
Shear Force:
Dead Load = 10 kN
Live Load = 22 kN
Determine the adequacy of the bolt due to combined stresses.
PROBLEM NO. 5
The W600 x 217 beam is provided with PL16 x 400 cover plates at the top and bottom as shown
below. At certain section of the beam, the computed external shear forces are V D = 400 kN and
VL = 650 kN. All steels are ASTM A992. Determine the spacing of 22-mm-diameter A325 (type X)
bolts used in a bearing-type connection. Assume an edge distance of 90 mm and that
deformation at bolt holes is a design consideration.
PROBLEM NO. 6
The bracket shown in the figure below is connected to the column flange by four 22-mm-
diameter A325 bolts having a nominal shear strength of 175 kN. Determine the maximum value
of Pu using the a) elastic analysis and b) the instantaneous center of rotation method.
PROBLEM NO. 7
A beam-to-column connection is made of WT 270 x 54.3 connected to a column flange by ten
20-mm-diameter Group A bearing-type bolts (Type X). The connection is subjected to a service
dead load of 180 kN and service live load of 210 kN with eccentricity of 120 mm. Investigate the
adequacy of the beam-to-column connection using the four methods presented. All steel is
A992.
