Chapter 7

Length of flange

1
7.1 Introduction
As the bending moment decreases towards the support,
the flange plate may be varied and a smaller flange plate
may be used. There is not much difference in the effective
depth after variation of flange plate and will nearly be
equal. Therefore,

2
moment of resistance will be proportional to (area of
flange plate + Aweb/6). Graphically or by analytical
calculations, theoretical cut off points can be determined.
The flange plates are butt welded at junction to form
continuous flange. Where the difference in thickness of
the two plates is 6 mm or more, thicker plate shall rather
be beveled so that the slop of surface from one part to the
other is not steeper than one in five as shown in Fig.
(7.1.a),

Fig(7.1.a) Fig(7.1.b)
3
or the weld metal shall be built up between the two parts as
shown in Fig. (7.1.b), provided the thickness of the thicker
plate is not more than 50 % greater than that of the thinner
plate. The flange width bf and or the flange thickness tf can
be reduced at the cut-off point.
Cover plates used to vary flange area, as in the case of the
cover plate add to the flange of a rolled section to increase
its moment capacity, must extend beyond the theoretical
cut-off a sufficient distance to develop the capacity of the
plate; i.e., the allowable weld strength beyond the cut-off
must equal to the allowable axial force in the plate.

4
Strength of cover plate = Act = 2saFw

Fw = 0.2 Fu
a  bf
'

5
1. length of flange plate for girders carrying uniformly
distributed load.
Moment of resistance (Mr) varies as the effective flange
area A1=(bf1tf1 + Aw/6). Let Ln be the theoretical length
of plate at which a smaller flange plate may be used.
B.M. diagram will be parabola,
M1 = K.A1, A1=(bf1tf1 + Aw/6) =(Af1 + Aw/6)
M2 = K.A2, A2=(bf2tf2 + Aw/6) =(Af2 + Aw/6)
Mn = K.An, An=(bfntfn + Aw/6) =(Afn + Aw/6)

6
 2
L
 
M1 2 L2 L/2
=  2
M1  M n  L n  2
Ln
 
 2  Mn M1
M1
2 M 1-Mn
KA1 L
= 2
KA1  KAn L n Ln/2

A1  A n b f1  t f1  b fn  t fn A f1  A fn
Ln  L =L =L
A1 b f1  t f1  A w / 6 b f1  t f1  A w / 6

7
1. Graphical method
We can compute the maximum moment at several points and
construct the curve of maximum moment. If the plate girder
supports moving loads, as in the case of highway and roadway
bridges, the envelope of maximum moments is needed. Since
the maximum moment at each point results from a different
position of the moving live load, the envelope is not the same
thing as the actual moment diagram. However, a satisfactory
approximate method which avoids the construction of the
envelope has been developed. It is a straight line through the
point of maximum moment, extending 0.05 L on each side of
the mid point of the span flanked by parabolas tangent at its
ends and passing through the ends of the span. Since each
parabolic segment has a base 0.45 L in length, cover plate
lengths can be determined by adding 0.1 L to the value of Ln
from the equation:- 8
 A f1  A fn
Ln  L
b f1  t f1  A w / 6

provided L in that equation is replaced with (0.9L), i.e., for

plate girder supports moving loads;

A f1  A fn
L n  0.9L  0.1L
b f1  t f1  A w / 6

this method is to assume that the curve of maximum

moment may be represented by a parabola drawn on a
base of 0.9 L, cut at the center and the two sides separated
by a distance = 0.1 L.
9
Effective flange area comprises
0.9L
one-six of web area and area of
flange plate. the flange area is
drawn to scale on the vertical Mmax
line such that the

total effective flange area is equal ordinate of maximum

bending moment, then the theoretical curtailment of plates
can be obtained as shown in Fig..

10
 0.45 L 0.1 L 0.45 L

M1

Aw/6
+
bf 3.tf 3=Af3

bf 2.tf 2=Af2
L2/2
L1/2 bf 1.tf 1=Af1

11
1. Accurate method of curtailment
In this method, the moment of resistance of the section
with modified flange plate is calculated and the point at
which the envelope of maximum bending moment will
be equal to this moment of resistance, will be the
theoretical point at which the plate may be modified.
Since the maximum moment at each point results from a
different position of the moving live load, the envelope is
not the same thing as a moment diagram. For uniformly
loaded simply supported beam, B.M. diagram will be a
parabola; if M is the maximum B.M and Mn is the
moment of resistance of the section after modifying the
flange plate and Ln the length of plate, hence;
12
 2
L
 
M 2 L2 L/2
=  2
M  Mn  Ln  2
Ln
 
 2  Mn M1
M1
M 1-Mn
M  Mn
Ln  L 
M Ln/2

as before for plate girder supports moving load

M  Mn
Ln  0.9L   0.1L 
M
13