Steel Design Examples: Block Shear and
Flexural Buckling (With Formulas)
1. Block Shear Examples
Example 1:
Problem:
A steel angle is connected using three bolts (18 mm diameter). The angle thickness is 10
mm. Material properties are Fy = 250 MPa, Fu = 410 MPa. Determine the block shear
strength.
Formula:
φR_n = 0.75 [0.6 F_u A_{nv} + F_y A_{gt}] or φR_n = 0.75 [0.6 F_y A_{gv} + F_u A_{nt}]
Given:
- t = 10 mm
- d = 18 mm
- Fy = 250 MPa
- Fu = 410 MPa
Areas:
- A_{gv} = 2(50)(10) = 1000 mm²
- A_{nv} = 2(50-18-0.5×2)(10) = 640 mm²
- A_{gt} = (50)(10) = 500 mm²
- A_{nt} = (50-18-0.5×2)(10) = 320 mm²
Calculation:
φR_n = 0.75 × (0.6 × 410 × 640 + 250 × 500) = 211.58 kN
Example 2:
Problem:
A gusset plate 8 mm thick connected with 4 bolts of 22 mm diameter. Fy = 275 MPa, Fu =
430 MPa. Find block shear strength.
Formula:
φR_n = 0.75 [0.6 F_u A_{nv} + F_y A_{gt}] or φR_n = 0.75 [0.6 F_y A_{gv} + F_u A_{nt}]
Given:
- t = 8 mm
- d = 22 mm
- Fy = 275 MPa
- Fu = 430 MPa
Areas:
- A_{gv} = 2(70)(8) = 1120 mm²
- A_{nv} = 2(70-22-0.5×2)(8) = 736 mm²
- A_{gt} = (70)(8) = 560 mm²
- A_{nt} = (70-22-0.5×2)(8) = 368 mm²
Calculation:
φR_n = 0.75 × (0.6 × 430 × 736 + 275 × 560) = 258.28 kN
Example 3:
Problem:
A connecting plate is attached with 6 bolts (16 mm diameter) and is 6 mm thick. Material
properties: Fy = 240 MPa, Fu = 380 MPa. Determine block shear strength.
Formula:
φR_n = 0.75 [0.6 F_u A_{nv} + F_y A_{gt}] or φR_n = 0.75 [0.6 F_y A_{gv} + F_u A_{nt}]
Given:
- t = 6 mm
- d = 16 mm
- Fy = 240 MPa
- Fu = 380 MPa
Areas:
- A_{gv} = 2(40)(6) = 480 mm²
- A_{nv} = 2(40-16-0.5×2)(6) = 288 mm²
- A_{gt} = (40)(6) = 240 mm²
- A_{nt} = (40-16-0.5×2)(6) = 144 mm²
Calculation:
φR_n = 0.75 × (0.6 × 380 × 288 + 240 × 240) = 92.6 kN
2. Flexural Buckling Examples
Example 1:
Problem:
A steel column (pinned at both ends) is 4 m long, made of W310×39 (Area = 49.7 cm²,
radius of gyration r = 5.37 cm), Fy = 345 MPa. Determine the critical buckling load.
Formulas:
λ = KL/r, F_e = π²E/(KL/r)², F_{cr} = 0.658^{(F_y/F_e)} F_y, P_{cr} = F_{cr} A
Calculation Steps:
λ = 4000/53.7 = 74.5
F_e = π²(200000)/(74.5)² = 35566.7 MPa
F_{cr} = 0.658^(345/35566.7) × 345 = 342.5 MPa
P_{cr} = 342.5 × 49.7 = 17,029 kN
Example 2:
Problem:
A column pinned at both ends, 3 m long, W200×42 (Area = 53.6 cm², r = 5.01 cm), Fy = 300
MPa. Find critical buckling load.
Formulas:
λ = KL/r, F_e = π²E/(KL/r)², F_{cr} = F_y (inelastic range), P_{cr} = F_{cr} A
Calculation Steps:
λ = 3000/50.1 = 59.88
F_e = π²(200000)/(59.88)² = 55088 MPa
F_{cr} = 300 MPa (since F_e > F_y)
P_{cr} = 300 × 53.6 = 16,080 kN
Example 3:
Problem:
A steel column 6 m long, fixed at both ends, using HSS 152x152x6.4 section (A = 34.1 cm², r
= 4.27 cm), Fy = 350 MPa. Find the critical load.
Formulas:
λ = K L/r, F_e = π²E/(KL/r)², F_{cr} = 0.658^{(F_y/F_e)} F_y, P_{cr} = F_{cr} A
Calculation Steps:
K = 0.7, λ = (0.7×6000)/42.7 = 98.36
F_e = π²(200000)/(98.36)² = 20446 MPa
F_{cr} = 0.658^(350/20446) × 350 = 346.3 MPa
P_{cr} = 346.3 × 34.1 = 11,809 kN