Structural Steelwork Eurocodes

Local Buckling
and
Section Classification
 Basis of section classification
Rolled
Rolledororwelded
weldedsections
sectionsmay
maybebe Some
Someareareinternal
internal
considered
consideredananassembly
assemblyof
ofindividual
individual --webs
websofofopen
openbeams
beams
plate
plateelements
elements --flanges
flangesof
ofboxes
boxes
Some
Someare areoutstand
outstand
--flanges
flangesofofIIbeams
beams
--legs
legsofofangles
anglesand
andTees
Tees
Outstand Outstand
Internal Internal

Internal
Web Web Internal
Web

Flange Flange Flange

Rolled I-section Hollow section Welded box section
 Basis of section classification
 As the plate elements are relatively thin, when loaded in compression they may buckle locally
 The tendency of any plate element within the cross section to buckle may limit the axial load carrying
This
Thisisisthe
thebasis
basisofof the
capacity, or the bending resistance of the section, by preventing the attainment of yield.
the
 Avoidance of premature failure arising from the effects of local buckling may be achieved by limiting
section
sectionclassification
classification
the width-to-thickness ratio for individual elements within the cross section.
approach
approach

Outstand Outstand
Internal Internal
Internal
Web Web Internal
Web

Flange Flange Flange

Rolled I-section Hollow section Welded box section
 Classification
 EC3 defines four classes of cross section.
 The class into which a particular cross
section falls depends upon
 slenderness of each element (defined by a
width-to-thickness ratio)
 the compressive stress distribution
 Classes are defined in terms of
performance requirements for resistance of
bending moments
 of Class
ModelModel of 1 cross
Momentsections
Moment Rotation Capacit
Behaviour
Behaviour Resistance
Resistance
Moment M Sufficient
Moment Plastic moment Mpl M
M pl
Plastic moment
on gross section
Mpl
fy
Local
Buckling on gross section 1

M pl
Local
fy rot
1pl
Model of Buckling
Moment Rotation Capacity
 1
Behaviour Resistance
Moment
Plastic moment M
Mpl Limited
M section Sufficient
Plastic moment on gross
Mpl
Mpl
on gross section fy 1
Local
f
Bucklingy
Local
Buckling  1

Moment rot M

Plastic moment1pl M
pl
Moment onmoment
Elastic gross1 section
M pl
None
M
nt M on gross
M section
pl
 1
Buckling
odel of Moment Rotation Capacity
Resistance
haviour
Class 2M crossSufficient
sections
Plastic moment   Mpl 1
on gross
Moment section
Plastic moment M
Moment fy Plastic moment Mpl M
on gross section
Local 1 Mpl
Buckling Mpl fy
on gross section 1
Mpl
Local
Buckling
fy rot
pl 1
Local
 Buckling 1
pl
1
Plastic moment M
Mpl Limited
Moment M
on gross section Elastic moment
Mpl
Mpl
fy on gross section
Local Mel
1 fy

Buckling 1
Local
Buckling

Moment M
Elastic moment 
Mpl
on
 gross1 section pl1
Mpl  Moment
f
Plastic moment on M
 Buckling pl 
 1
pl
Plastic moment M Class 3 crossLimited
sections
Mpl 1
1
on gross section 

Moment
Moment
fy Elastic moment M
Mpl M None
Local Elastic
on moment
1 gross section
Buckling Mpl
fy Mpl
Mel on gross section 1
Mpl Local
Buckling fy
Local
Mel
1 
Buckling 1 pl
  1

Elastic
Moment
moment M
Plastic moment on NoneM None
Mpl Mpl
on gross section effective section
fy  M
Mpl
el
fy 1
Mel 1
Local
Moment
Buckling
Local
Buckling
Plastic1 moment on M
effective section Mpl
Mpl
fy
Mel
 1 1 
 MelLocal
elastic moment resistance of cross-section
1 pl
Buckling
 Buckling el
1
Local
Buckling 
pl
 Class 4 cross sections 1


Elastic moment  M 1
Mpl None 1
on gross section
Moment
Plastic moment on M Non
Moment
Mpl fy Plastic moment
effective section on Mpl M
Mel
Mel
effective
1 fy
section Mpl
Local 1
Mpl
Buckling
Local
MelBuckling fy
1
Local 
 Buckling  1 pl
1
Mel elastic
Plastic moment
moment onresistance
M of cross-sectionNone
Mpl plasticsection
effective Mpl of cross-section
moment resistance
 1
fy
M applied moment
Mel
 rotation (curvature) of section
1
Mel elastic moment
Local rotation resistance
(curvature) of of cross-section
section required to generate fully plastic str
Buckling pl
M plastic moment
pl resistance of cross-section
across section

M applied
 moment pl
1
 rotation (curvature) of section
 Plate behaviour in compression
 A thin flat rectangular plate subjected to compressive
forces along its short edges has an elastic critical
buckling stress (cr ) given by
2
k  E  t 
2 5

 cr 
b
 

Buckling coefficient k
121    b 
4
2
L Free
3 Exact
2
k = 0.425 + (b/L)
k is the plate buckling
2
parameter which accounts for
edge support conditions, 1
stress distribution 0.425
aspect ratio of the plate 0 3
1 2 4 5
Plate aspect ratio L/b
0

Calculating elastic critical stress

For a plate to yield, cr > fy

This occurs when

bb//tt <<0,92 (k E / f ) 0,5

0,92 (kE / fyy )0,5

This expression is general as the effect of

 stress gradient
 boundary conditions
 aspect ratio
are all encompassed within the buckling parameter k
1

Buckling parameter k
1
2 2 1 1 2

I II III

1 is maximum stress, compression + ve

2 / 1 +1 1 > > 0 0 0 >  -1
Case I 4,0 8,02 7,81 7,81+6,29 23,9
Internal 1,05 + 
element
Case II 0,43 0,57-0,21 0,57 0,57-0,21 0,85
Outstand
element
Case III 0,43 0,578 1,70 1,7-5 23,8
Outstand 
element
2

Normalised load-slenderness
u
Np = f Class 3
y
Class 2
Class 1
1
Elastic
Euler buckling
Buckling Stress

 fy 
0. 5
 b/t 
 p      
  28.4 k 
  cr    
0,5 0,6 0,9 1,0  p
3

Maximum slenderness ratios

Element
Class 1 Class 2 Class 3

Flange c / tf  10  c / tf  11  c / tf  15 

Web subject to
bending d / tw  72  d / tw  83  d / tw  124 

Web subject
to compression d / tw  33  d / tw  38  d / tw  42 
Derived by solving  fy 
0 .5
 b/t 
 p      
  28.4 k 
Class 1 p < 0,5   cr    
Class 2 p < 0,6
Class 3 p < 0,9 for elements under a stress gradient
p< 0,74 for elements in compression throughout
4

Effective width approach for

Class 4 sections
 Cross-sections with class 4 elements may be replaced by an
effective cross-section
 taken as the gross section minus holes where the buckles may occur
 designed in a similar manner to class 3 sections using elastic cross-
sectional resistance limited by yielding in the extreme fibres
 Effective widths of compression elements may be calculated by use
of a reduction factor  which is dependent on the normalised plate
slenderness (which is in turn dependent on the stress distribution
and element boundaries through application of the buckling

 
parameter k) as follows:
   0,22 
Reduction factor   pp  0,22
 
applied to the outstand or
internal element.   
  22 
pp 
5

Effective width - outstands

Stress distribution Effective width beff
(compression positive)

beff 1    0:
1
2 beff =  c

bt bc
  0:
1
beff  bc  c / (1   )
2
beff

   2 / 1 1 0 -1 1    1

Buckling factor k 0,43 0,57 0,85 0,57  0,21  0,07 2

6 2
beff

   2 /1Effective width - outstands

1 0 -1 1    1

Buckling factor k 0,43 0,57 0,85 0,57  0,21  0,07 2

beff
1    0:
1
2
beff =  c
c

beff
  0:
1

beff  bc  c / (1   )
2

bc bt

   2 /1 1 1  0 0 0    1 -1
0,578
Buckling factor k 0,43 1,70 1,7  5  171
, 2 23,8
  0,34
 1:
7 1 2
Effective width b = b - 3t
beff =  b
be1 = 0,5 beff
be1

b
be2
- internal elements be2 = 0,5 beff

1 > _ 0 :
1
2 b = b - 3t
beff =  b
2b
b e1 = eff
b e1 be2 5- 
b e2 = beff - be1
b

bc bt  < 0:
1
b = b - 3t
2
beff =  bc =  b / (1 -  )
be1 = 0,4b eff
be2 = 0,6b eff
b e1 be2

b
 = 2 /1 1 1> > 0 0 0 > > - 1 -1 - 1> > - 2

Buckling 8,2
4,0 7,81 7,81- 6,92 + 9,78 2 23,9 5,98 (1 - )2
factor k  1,05 + 
8

Effective cross-sections
Centroidal axis of Centroidal axis of
gross cross-section effective cross-section

Centroidal axis of
gross cross-section
eN
The centroidal axis of the
effective cross-section may
shift relative
Non-effective zones to that for the
gross cross-section.
For a member subject to an
axial force, the shift of the
centroidal axis will give rise to
a moment which should be
Gross cross-section
accounted for in member
(a) Class 4 cross-sections - axial force design.
9

Effective
Gross cross-section
cross-sections
(a) Class 4 cross-sections - axial force

eM
Non-effective zone
Centroidal axis Centroidal axis of
effective section

For a member in
bending, shift of the
Non-effective zone
centroidal axis of the
eM
effective cross-section
relative to that for the
Centroidal axis
gross
Centroidal cross-section.
axis of
will besection
effective taken into
account when
Gross cross-section calculating the section
properties of the
(b) Class 4 cross-sections - bending momenteffective section.
0

Summary
 Structural sections may be considered as an assembly of individual
plate elements.
 Plate elements may be internal or outstand
 When loaded in compression these plates may buckle locally
 Local buckling may limit the load carrying capacity of the section by
preventing the attainment of yield strength
 Premature failure due to local buckling may be avoided by limiting the
width to thickness ratio - or slenderness - of individual elements within
the cross section.
 This is the basis of the section classification approach.
 EC3 defines four classes of cross-section.
 The class into which a particular cross-section falls depends upon the
slenderness of each element and the compressive stress distribution