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Beam 4 m span, 45 kN/m and 100 kN midspan

Short answer

Trial section ISMB 350: plastic moment capacity 199.3 kN·m > 191.5 kN·m, shear capacity 372 kN > 141.5 kN, deflection 6.94 mm < 13.33 mm. Web buckling and bearing are safe. ISMB 350 is adequate.

Design a laterally supported beam of 4 m span subjected to design imposed load of 45 kN/m and a concentrated load of 100 kN at mid span. The load is transferred through stiff bearings of 300 mm width at the supports. The depth of beam is limited to 350 mm. Also check for deflection.

Data

  • Steel Fe 410 (E250): fy=250f_y = 250 N/mm², fu=410f_u = 410 N/mm², E=2×105E = 2\times10^5 N/mm², γm0=1.10\gamma_{m0} = 1.10 (IS 800:2007, Table 5). Limit state design.
  • Effective span L=4.00L = 4.00 m, bearing length of support =300= 300 mm.

Loads and design forces

The imposed load of 45 kN/m and the concentrated load of 100 kN at mid-span are taken as the design (factored) loads; self-weight is added with γf=1.5\gamma_f = 1.5. Span =4.0= 4.0 m, depth limited to 350 mm, so ISMB sections up to ISMB 350 are considered. Stiff bearing at supports: 300 mm.

For the deflection check the unfactored imposed loads are 45/1.5=30.045/1.5 = 30.0 kN/m and 100/1.5=66.7100/1.5 = 66.7 kN.

Moment without self-weight M=190.0M = 190.0 kN·m, so Zp,req≈Mγm0/fy=190.0×106×1.1/250=836Z_{p,req} \approx M\gamma_{m0}/f_y = 190.0\times10^6\times1.1/250 = 836 cm³ (self-weight adds a little).

Trial section

Try ISMB 350 (IS 808): D=350D = 350 mm, bf=140b_f = 140 mm, tw=8.1t_w = 8.1 mm, tf=14.2t_f = 14.2 mm, R1=14R_1 = 14 mm; Izz=13600I_{zz} = 13600 cm⁴; Ze=779Z_e = 779 cm³; Zp≈Btf(D−tf)+tw(D−2tf)2/4=877Z_p \approx B t_f (D - t_f) + t_w (D - 2t_f)^2/4 = 877 cm³; mass 52.452.4 kg/m.

Self-weight =52.4×9.81/1000=0.514= 52.4\times9.81/1000 = 0.514 kN/m, factored =1.5×0.514=0.771= 1.5\times0.514 = 0.771 kN/m. Total factored UDL w=45.00+0.77=45.77w = 45.00 + 0.77 = 45.77 kN/m.

Mu=wL28+WL4=45.77×4.0028+100.0×4.004=191.5 kN⋅mVu=wL2+W2=141.5 kN\begin{aligned} M_u &= \frac{wL^2}{8} + \frac{WL}{4} = \frac{45.77\times4.00^2}{8} + \frac{100.0\times4.00}{4} = 191.5\ \text{kN·m} \\ V_u &= \frac{wL}{2} + \frac{W}{2} = 141.5\ \text{kN} \end{aligned}

Section classification (Table 2)

ε=250/fy=1.00\varepsilon = \sqrt{250/f_y} = 1.00. Flange: b/tf=(140/2)/14.2=4.93<9.4ε=9.4b/t_f = (140/2)/14.2 = 4.93 < 9.4\varepsilon = 9.4. Web: d/tw=36.2<84ε=84d/t_w = 36.2 < 84\varepsilon = 84 (with d=D−2(tf+R1)=293.6d = D - 2(t_f + R_1) = 293.6 mm). The section is plastic, so βb=1.0\beta_b = 1.0.

Moment capacity (cl. 8.2.1.2)

The beam is laterally supported, so lateral-torsional buckling does not occur and MdM_d is the plastic moment capacity.

Md=βbZpfyγm0=877×103×2501.1×106=199.3 kN⋅m1.2Zefy/γm0=1.2×779×103×250/(1.1×106)=212.5 kN⋅m\begin{aligned} M_d &= \frac{\beta_b Z_p f_y}{\gamma_{m0}} = \frac{877\times10^3\times250}{1.1\times10^6} = 199.3\ \text{kN·m} \\ 1.2 Z_e f_y/\gamma_{m0} &= 1.2\times779\times10^3\times250/(1.1\times10^6) = 212.5\ \text{kN·m} \end{aligned}

The smaller value governs: Md=199.3M_d = 199.3 kN·m.

Md=199.3 kN⋅m>Mu=191.5 kN⋅mSafeM_d = 199.3\ \text{kN·m} > M_u = 191.5\ \text{kN·m}\quad \text{Safe}

Shear capacity (cl. 8.4)

Av=Dtw=350×8.1=2835 mm2Vd=Avfy3 γm0=2835×2503×1.1×103=372.0 kN\begin{aligned} A_v &= D t_w = 350\times8.1 = 2835\ \text{mm}^2 \\ V_d &= \frac{A_v f_y}{\sqrt3\,\gamma_{m0}} = \frac{2835\times250}{\sqrt3\times1.1\times10^3} = 372.0\ \text{kN} \end{aligned}

Vu=141.5V_u = 141.5 kN <Vd< V_d; also Vu<0.6Vd=223.2V_u < 0.6V_d = 223.2 kN, so the shear is low and the moment capacity is not reduced (cl. 9.2.1). Web shear buckling does not govern since d/tw=36.2<67ε=67d/t_w = 36.2 < 67\varepsilon = 67 (cl. 8.4.2.1).

Deflection (Table 6)

Deflection under unfactored service (imposed) loads, limit span/300 (floor and roof members, Table 6):

δ=5wL4384EI+WL348EI=5×30.00×(4000)4384×2×105×13600×104+66667×(4000)348×2×105×13600×104=6.94 mm\delta = \frac{5 w L^4}{384 E I} + \frac{W L^3}{48 E I} = \frac{5\times30.00\times(4000)^4}{384\times2\times10^5\times13600\times10^4} + \frac{66667\times(4000)^3}{48\times2\times10^5\times13600\times10^4} = 6.94\ \text{mm}

δ=6.94\delta = 6.94 mm <L/300=13.33< L/300 = 13.33 mm. OK.

Web buckling and bearing at support (cl. 8.7.3 and 8.7.4)

Stiff bearing length b1=300b_1 = 300 mm. Clear web depth d=293.6d = 293.6 mm; dispersion of load at 45° to mid-depth at an end support n1=d/2=146.8n_1 = d/2 = 146.8 mm. Effective length 0.7d0.7d (cl. 8.7.1.5), λ=0.7d/(tw/12)=87.9\lambda = 0.7d/(t_w/\sqrt{12}) = 87.9; curve c gives fcd=124.1f_{cd} = 124.1 N/mm².

Fcdw=(b1+n1)twfcd=(300+146.8)×8.1×124.1/103=449.3 kNn2=2.5(tf+R1)=70.5 mmFw=(b1+n2)twfyγm0=(300+70.5)×8.1×2501.1×103=682.1 kN\begin{aligned} F_{cdw} &= (b_1 + n_1) t_w f_{cd} = (300 + 146.8)\times8.1\times124.1/10^3 = 449.3\ \text{kN} \\ n_2 &= 2.5(t_f + R_1) = 70.5\ \text{mm} \\ F_w &= \frac{(b_1 + n_2) t_w f_y}{\gamma_{m0}} = \frac{(300 + 70.5)\times8.1\times250}{1.1\times10^3} = 682.1\ \text{kN} \end{aligned}

Support reaction R=141.5R = 141.5 kN <Fcdw< F_{cdw} and <Fw< F_w. No web stiffener is needed.

Final design

Provide ISMB 350 (52.4 kg/m): Md=199.3M_d = 199.3 kN·m >Mu=191.5> M_u = 191.5 kN·m, Vd=372V_d = 372 kN >Vu=141.5> V_u = 141.5 kN, δ=6.9\delta = 6.9 mm <13.3< 13.3 mm.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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