Plastic Analysis and Design of Beams

The current AISC specifications for structural steel buildings, both ASD and LRFD, allow the
plastic design of braced frame members (including beams meeting the compact section criteria!
The mill specified "ield stress, F
y
, shall not e#ceed $% &si! 'owe(er, the current AAS'T)
specifications, both ASD and LRFD, do not allow the plastic design of highwa" bridge
structures! Article *+!,!- (.art D, Load Factor Design of AAS'T) Standard Specifications for
'ighwa" /ridges, ,0th ed!, allows redistribution of the negati(e moments (partial recognition of
plastic beha(ior in redundant beams caused b" the gra(it" load in some fle#ural members
meeting the re1uirements of compact section criteria!
In the classical elastic design method, the ma#imum load a member could support was assumed
to be e1ual to the load that would cause the most highl" stressed fiber (a single point in a
structure to reach F
y
! 'owe(er, staticall" indeterminate structures made of a ductile material
(steel ha(e the capabilit" to redistribute internal force distributions b" local "ielding upon being
o(erloaded before reaching a collapse mechanism!
Consider a propped beam of length L sub2ected to a concentrated load . at the mid3span!
y
F
y
F
y
F
4 5 l
y
f F <
p y
M F Z
p y
Z S M M > >
y y
M F S ,
%
-5
Pl
,
-
,$
P

l
,
P
6 natural hinge
76 plastic hinge
o
Collapse mechanism
5
*
Pl
5
P
,

S6 elastic section modulus

86 plastic section modulus

P
,
-
,$
p
P
M
l
, 5 u
P P P +
, 5 , ,
5
% -
-5 * ,$ +
P P P P
P +
l l l
-
,
,
0
0$+
P
EI

l
-
5
5
*+
P
EI

l
ser(ice load
,
9
+
u
P
P
,
:!$$
,!0
u
s
P
P P
,
4 5 l u
P
.lastic Design
;ase of structural anal"ses as the prere1uisite of the design!
Results in a consistent margin of safet" for all structures, independent of the degrees of
static indeterminac"!
Results in a considerable cost sa(ings for bending t"pe indeterminate structures!
)f determinate beams "ields the same design as b" ASD!
)f tension and compression members "ields no better design!
Is not suitable for situations where fatigue stresses are a problem!
<ust ha(e a ductile material to emplo"ee plastic design!
Re1uires compact section criteria along with e#cessi(e bracing of compression flanges!
.lastic hinge is assumed to be confined at a point along the beam length!
Collapse <echanism
Staticall" determinate beams fail upon the de(elopment of one plastic hinge! For indeterminate
structures, as the load increases the most highl" stressed section "ields locall" and forms a plastic
hinge! This plastic hinge will act as a real hinge insofar as increased loading is concerned!
Additional loading causes additional plastic hinge formations! =hen the number and
arrangement of real and plastic hinges results in an unstable structure (collapse mechanism, then
collapse occurs!
.lastic Anal"sis
;1uilibrium <ethod
;nerg" <ethod (>irtual =or& <ethod
5
;1uilibrium <ethod
*
:
5 5
u P
cl P u
P M
M M P
_


,
l
l
>irtual =or& <ethod
P
L
F M

? 6 e1uilibrium set
? 6 compatible displacement set
F M

'

! ! ! ! Ext V W Int V W
( ) 5 5
4 5
u P P
P M M
1 _

1
, ]
l
( )
@
*
*
u P
u P
req d
P M
P M
l
l
p
M

4 5
u
P 4 5
u
P
u
P
4 5

l
4 5 l
u
P

5

M
p
M
P

u
P
5

-
4 5 l
( ) 4 4 5 l
p
M
A
5
p
u
M
w
V +
l
l 5
p
u
M
w

l
l
l
5
,
+
p
w
M
l
( )
5
M w V
p
M
o
u
w
x
u
w
Binematicall" Admissible Solution 3 A solution whereb" the structure has reached to
deform without additional loading (collapse mechanism!
Staticall" Admissible Solution 3 A solution whereb" the strength of the structure is not
e#ceeded at an" section (
P
M M at all sections!
Cpper /ound Solution 3 The load computed on basis of an assumed &inematicall"
admissible solution will alwa"s be larger than, or e1ual to, the true solution!
Lower /ound Solution 3 The load computed on basis of an assumed staticall" admissible
solution will alwa"s be smaller than, or e1ual to, the true solution!
;#ample .roblem
Determine
u
w for the propped beam!
From the shear diagram,
5
u P
u
w M
w x
l
l

5
P
u
M
x
w

l
l
5
5
5 *
,5 *
:
u P P
u
w M M
w +
l l
5
,,!$%0
P
u
M
w
l
5
P
u
M
x
w

l
l
5
:!*,*
,,!$%0
5
P
P
M L
M
l
l
l
*
5 5
5
,
5 *
u P
P
u
w M
M
w
_
+

,
l
l
( )
,4 5
5 5 * 5 *
$ 4 -$ 4 * 4
u P P P
w M M M + l l l
,
5 5 5
u P P
P
u
w M M
M
w
_
_


,
,
l l
l l
5 5 5
5
5
*
u P
u P u P
w M
w M w M +
l
l
4 5 l
p
M
p
M
4 5 l
5
p
u
M
w

l
l
,st hinge
p
M
u
w
5%
5*
p
M
%
,5
l

o
5nd hinge assumed at CL
p
M
4 5 l :!*,l
:!9**$
p
M
:!9
p
M
Appl"ing upper bound and lower bound theorems to determine
u
w !
Assume a &inematicall" admissible
solution (which ma" (iolate a staticall"
admissible condition!
:
5 5 5 *
u u P
cl P
w w M
M M
_ _ _


, , ,
l l l l
l
5
-
+ 5
u P
w M

l

5
,5
P
u
M
w
l
(upper bound solution
Dote6
P
M is e#ceeded! 'ence, not
a staticall" admissible solution!
Assume a staticall" admissible solution (which ma"
(iolate a &inematicall" admissible condition!
Assume a moment at the mid3span smaller than
P
M ,
sa", :!9
P
M !
: :!9
5 5 5 *
u u P
cl P
w w M
M M
_ _ _


, , ,
l l l l
l
5
,!*
+
u
P
w
M
l
Dote6 Do plastic hinge between
5
,,!5
P
u
M
w
l
(lower bound solution supports! Therefore, no collapse
is reached! 'ence, not a
5 5
,, 5 ,5
P P
u
. M M
w
L L
< < &inematicall" admissible solution!
%
5 5
:
* 5 +
u u P
P
w w M
M
l l
Consider a both3end fi#ed beam of =,$*: of length -: feet! A concentrated load . is applied
at point /, ,: feet from the left support! Determine the load3deflection cur(e for loading up to
the collapse condition! Assume F
y
E -$ &si!
At ultimate, from the e1uilibrium re1uirement,
( ) ( ) ,: 5:
-:
u
P P
P
M M
( ) 5 -4 5: :!-
u P P
P M M
-$ 05!9 4 ,5 5,+!0
P y
M F Z
&3ft
( ) :!- 5,+!0 $%!$,
u
P &ips
Stage 1! From the elastic bending moment diagram, the first plastic hinge will form at A!
( )
,
,
*:
5,+!0, 9 5,+!0 4 *: *9!5,
9
P
P
M P &ips
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
- -
, -
,: 5: *9!5, +, ::: ,, 05+
:!%%9
- 50 59, ::: %,+
- -:
P
EI
in!
Stage 2! =ith P
1
E *9!5, &ips applied one can consider that part of the a(ailable moment
capacit" at points / and C has been used up! The a(ailable remaining moment capacit" is
( ) +: *9!5, 4 50 5,+!0 ,*%!+ 05!9
B P
M M ft3&ips
( ) 5: *9!5, 4 9 5,+!0 ,:9!* ,:9!-
P
M M ft3&ips
( )
5
5
,*:
05!9, 50 05!9 4 ,*: ,*!:$
50
P
P &ips
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
5 -
5 -
5 - -
- ,*!:$ ,: 5: 9: ,: ,, 05+
:!-99
,5
,5 -: 59, ::: %,+
Pa ! L a
L EI

+ +
in!
Stage "! =ith a total of P
1
F P
2
E $-!50 &ips applied, the remaining moment capacit" a(ailable
at C is
( ) ,:9!* (Stage , *: 4 ,*!:$ 4 9 (Stage 5E*$!+,
P
M M ft3&ips
- -
5: *$!+,, 5!-* P P &ips
$
, 5 -
*9!5, ,*!:$ 5!-* $%!$,
u
P P P P + + + + &ips chec&s
Dote6 There is no ad(antage in plastic design for staticall" determinate structures! Consider the
propped cantile(er beam e#amined before! If an ASD were adopted, the ser(ice load would ha(e
been (assuming a load factor of ,!0 G %4-E,!$0, a common factor of safet" in ASD, hence,
conser(ati(eH
Ser(ice Load
ASD .lastic Design
Determinate /eam
, s
P P
, u
P P
.ropped /eam
, s
P P
,
,!,5%
u
P P
/oth3end Fi#ed /eam
, s
P P
,
,!--
u
P P
0
+
Yield Line Theory of Slabs
Although not included in the current ACI Code, slab anal"sis b" "ield line theor" ma" be useful
in pro(iding the needed information for understanding the beha(ior of irregular or single3panel
slabs with (arious boundar" conditions! Iield lines in slabs are similar in concept to plastic
hinges in ,D beams and or frames! T"pical "ield line patterns are shown in the figure! For a
concentrated load at a significant distance from a support edge, the "ield line pattern will be
circular as shown in (d! The circle pattern will be a "ield line of negati(e bending moment,
while the radial "ield lines are due to positi(e bending moment! For concentrated loads near a
free edge, a fan or partial circular pattern is t"pical! ;ach segment in a "ield pattern rotates with
respect to its "ield line due to negati(e bending moment creating tensile strains at the top fiber of
the slab and as a result tensile strains de(elop at the bottom fiber along the "ield lines due to
positi(e bending moment!
9
Fundamental Assumptions
,! The steel reinforcement is full" "ielded along the "ield lines at failure! 'ence, a t"pical
idealiJed M3 relationship can be assumed to be linearl" elastic and perfectl" plastic!
5! The slab deforms plasticall" at failure and is separated into segments b" the "ield lines!
-! The bending and twisting moments are uniforml" distributed along the "ield line and the"
are the ma#imum (alues pro(ided b" the moment strengths in two orthogonal directions
(for two wa" slabs!
*! The elastic deformations are negligibl" small compared with the plastic deformationsK
thus the slab parts rotate as plane segments in a collapse mechanism!
The bending moment strength
n!
M and twisting moment strength
nt
M along the "ield line ma"
be e#pressed in terms of
nx
M and
ny
M
! Ta&ing e1uilibrium of moment (ectors parallel to the
"ield line,

,:
'ome =or& L,
An e1uilateral triangle A/C is to be installed at a corner of a tunnel comple# at a municipal
wastewater treatment plant to facilitate a passage of a utilit" (ehicle! The e1ui(alent uniforml"
distributed load intensit" of the (ehicle ma" be assumed to be -:: psf! /oth fi#ed edges, A/
and AC, are ,% ft long and the free edge /C is computed to be ,%
5
(5,!5, ft! Assume an
identical reinforcement is placed in both # and " directions so that
nx
M and
ny
M
are the same!
Assuming a load factor of ,!0 for both the li(e load (without an impact allowance and the dead
load of the concrete slab, determine the ultimate bending moment capacit" re1uired for the slab!
,%M
C A
/
,%M
,,