DESIGN OF

UNRESTRAINED BEAM

These beams are

susceptible to
LTB

By
Rackford Bong
 LTB (Lateral Torsional Buckling)

Lateral torsional buckling is the buckling mode

associated with slender beams loaded about
their major axis, without continuous lateral
restraint.
 z y y
A
u
y
y A’ y
Before LTB
v
z

After LTB

Characteristics of Lateral Torsionalal Buckling (LTB):

1. As the beam is loaded vertically, deflection ‘u’ about y-y takes
place.
2. As the vertical load increases, the beam deflects laterally about
minor axis z-z, and lateral displacement, “v” takes place.
3. The vertical displacements ‘u’ and v’ contribute to the torsional
buckling phenomenon
Lateral Torsional Buckling (LTB)
Non-dimensional slenderness
Beam LTB behaviour is similar to yielding/buckling of columns.

M Material yielding
(in-plane bending) ME ME
Wyfy d d

Lcr
Elastic member
buckling Mcr

1.0 Non-dimensional slenderness  LT

Checks should be carried out on all
unrestrained segments of beams (between
the points where lateral restraint exists).

Lateral
Lateral Lateral restraint
restraint restraint

Lcr = 1.0 L

Beam on plan
 LLT LLT LLT

A B Front view C D

X X X X
support Adjacent Adjacent support
retstraint retstraint
Where: X = lateral restraint

B C
A D

Plan view of lateral torsional buckling shape

 Effective Buckling Length of Unrestrained Beam

Conditions of restraints at supports Effective Length of beams under normal loading

(The symbol represents lateral condition
restraint)

Unrestrained length, LLT

Rigid Rigid Rigid Rigid

LLT
Plan
view
Front
view
Lcr= 0.7L LT

Both flanges are fully restra ined against

rotation on plan.
 Semi Semi
Semi Semi
Rigid LLT Rigid
Rigid Rigid
Plan
view
Front
view
Lcr = 0.85LLT

Compression flange partially restrained

against rotation on plan.
Simple Simple Simple LLT Simple

Front Plan
view view
Lcr = 1.0LLT
Three methods to check LTB in EC3:

• The primary method adopts the lateral

torsional buckling curves given by equations
6.56 and 6.57, see clause 6.3.2.2 (general case)
and clause 6.3.2.3 (for rolled sections and
equivalent welded sections).
• A simplified assessment method for beams
with restraints in buildings, see clause 6.3.2.4.
• A general method for lateral and lateral
torsional buckling of structural components,
given in clause 6.3.4.
The design buckling resistance Mb,Rd of an
unrestrained beam (or unrestrained
segment of beam) should be taken as:

fy
M b , Rd   LTW y
 M1
Reduction factor for LTB
 Buckling curves – General Case
Lateral torsional buckling curves for the general case
are given below:

1
 LT  but  LT  1.0
 LT   2LT   LT
2

 LT  0.5 [ 1   LT ( LT  0.2)   2
LT ]

Plateau length

Imperfection factor from Table 6.3

Buckling curve selection
For the general case, refer to Table 6.4:
 Imperfection factor LT

Table 6.3: Recommended values for imperfection factors for lateral

torsional buckling curves
 LTB curves
4 buckling curves for LTB (a, b, c and d)
 Buckling curves – Rolled or equivalent
Welded sections case
LTB curves for the rolled or equivalent welded sections
case are given below; Table 6.5 is used to select
buckling curve:
  LT  1.0
1 
 LT  but  1
 LT   2LT    LT  LT  2

2
 LT

 LT  0.5 [ 1   LT ( LT   LT , 0 )    LT
2
]

Plateau length
 factor
Recommended
Recommended value = 0.75 value = 0.4
 LTB Curves:
Comparison between general curves and curves for rolled and equivalent
welded sections (I-sections – h/b>2)

1.20

1.00 General (h/b>2)

Reduction factor LT

Rolled (h/b>2)
0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

Non-dimensional slenderness  LT
Non-dimensional slenderness
• Calculate lateral torsional buckling slenderness:

Wy f y
 LT 
M cr

• Buckling curves as for compression (except curve a0)

• Wy depends on section classification
• Mcr is the elastic critical LTB moment
 Mcr
For typical end conditions, and under uniform moment the
elastic critical lateral torsional buckling moment Mcr is:

0.5
 EI z  I w
2
Lcr GI T 
2

M cr , 0    2 
Lcr
2
 Iz  EI z 

G is the shear modulus

IT is the torsion constant y y
u
Iw is the warping constant
Iz is the minor axis second moment of area v
Lcr is the buckling length of the beam
C1 factor – end moments
For end moment loading C1 may be approximated by
the equation below, though other approximations
also exist.

C1= 1.88 – 1.40y + 0.52y2 but C1  2.70

where y is the ratio of the end moments (defined in

the following table).
 Design procedure for LTB
1. Determine BMD and SFD from design loads

2. Select section and determine geometry

3. Classify cross-section (Class 1, 2, 3 or 4)

4. Bending resistance of cross-section

Lateral Torsional Buckling Check

5. Calculate Mcr and Wy,fy
 Design procedure for LTB
Wy fy
6. Non-dimensional slenderness  LT 
Mcr
7. Determine imperfection factor LT

8. Calculate buckling reduction factor  LT

Wy f y
9. Design buckling resistance M b , Rd   LT
 M1
MEd
10. Check  1.0 for each unrestrained portion
Mb,Rd
Example 2: Design of Unrestrained Beam
Restraints are provided at points A, B, C and D only
Unrestrained segments AB, BC and CD are
susceptible to LTB.

425.1 kN 319.6 kN

A D
B C

2.5 m 3.2 m 5.1 m

1. Determine BMD and SFD from design loads
267.1 kN
B
A D
52.5 kN C

SF
477.6 kN

Shear force diagram(SFD)

B C
A D

BM
1194 kNm 1362 kNm

Bending moment diagram(BMD)

2. Select section and determine geometry

For the purposes of this example, lateral torsional

buckling curves for the general case will be utilised.
Lateral torsional buckling checks need to be carried
out on all segments AB, BC and CD. However, only
design checks on segment BC is shown in this
example.

Try 762×267×173 UB in grade S 275 steel.

2. Select section and determine geometry

b h = 762.2 mm
z b = 266.7 mm
tw = 14.3 mm
tf = 21.6 mm
tw
r = 16.5 mm
y y A = 22000 mm2
h d
Wpl,y = 6198×103 mm3
Iz = 68.50×106 mm4
r
It = 2670×103 mm4
tf
Iw = 9390×109 mm6
z

762×267×173 UB
3. Classify cross-section (Class 1, 2, 3 or 4)

For (tf = 21.6 mm and tw = 14.3 mm) < 40 mm

grade S 275 steel
Yield strength fy = 275 N/mm2.

From clause 3.2.6:

E = 210000 N/mm2 and G ≈ 81000 N/mm2.
3. Classify cross-section (Class 1, 2, 3 or 4)

Cross-section classification (clause 5.5.2):

e  235 / f y  235 / 275  0.924
Table 5.2:
Outstand flanges
cf / tf = 5.08
Limit for Class 1 flange = 9e
5.08 < 8.48
 Flange is Class 1
Web
cw / tw= 48.0
Limit for Class 1 web = 72 e
48.0< 66.24
 Web is Class 1

Therefore 762×267×173 UB Section is Class 1.

 4. Bending resistance of cross-section (clause 6.2.5)

W pl , y f y
M c , y , Rd  for Class 1 and 2 sec tions
 M0
6198  10 3  275
  1704.5  106 Nmm
1.0
 1704.5 kNm  1362 kNm

 Cross-section resistance in bending is OK.

5. Calculate Mcr and Wy,fy

Lateral torsional buckling check (clause

6.3.2.2) – Segment BC:

MEd  1362 kNm

fy
Mb ,Rd   LT Wy
 M1

where Wy,fy = Wpl,y for Class 1 and 2 sections

Determine Mcr for segment BC (Lcr = 3200 mm)

0 .5
 EIz2
 Iw L cr GIT 
2
Mcr  C1   2 
L cr
2
 Iz  EIz 
 5. Calculate Mcr and Wy,fy

For end moment loading C1 may be

approximated from:

C1 = 1.88 – 1.40y + 0.52y2 but C1  2.70

1194
y is the ratio of the end moments   0.88
1362
 C1  1.05

0 .5
  210000  68.5  10  9390  10
2 6 9
3200  81000  2670  10 
2 3
Mcr  1.05    
3200 2  68 . 5  10 6
 2
 210000  68 . 5  10 6


= 5702.33x106 Nmm = 5702 kNm

6. Non-dimensional slenderness

Non-dimensional lateral torsional slenderness

for segment BC:

Wy f y 6198 103  275

LT    0.55
M cr 5699 10 6

Select buckling curve and imperfection factor LT:

From Table 6.4: h/b = 762.2/266.7 = 2.86

For a rolled I-section with h/b > 2, use buckling

curve ‘b’
7. Determine imperfection factor  LT

From Table 6.3:

For buckling curve ‘b’, LT = 0.34
8. Calculate buckling reduction factor  LT

Calculate reduction factor for lateral torsional

buckling, LT – Segment BC:
1
 LT  but  LT  1.0
 LT   2
LT  2
LT

where  LT  0.5 [ 1   LT ( LT  0.2)   LT

2
]
 8. Calculate buckling reduction factor  LT

LT = 0.5[1+0.34(0.547-0.2) + 0.5472] = 0.709

1
  LT   0.86
0.709  0.709  0.54 2 2

9. Design buckling resistance

Lateral torsional buckling resistance Mb,Rd – Segment BC

fy 275
M b , Rd   LT W y  0.86  6198 10  3

 M1 1.0

 1470.80 106 Nmm  1470 kNm

 MEd
10. Check  1 .0
Mb,Rd

M Ed 1362
  0.93  1.0  Segment BC is OK
M b , Rd 1470

Perform similar LTB design calculation for

segment CD.

From inspection, segment AB is not critical

Both segments BC and CD should satisfy the

design requirements
M Ed
 1.0
M b , Rd