Plastic Design Lecture 1

Associate Professor Bill Wong Department of Civil Engineering

Introduction

The plastic method usually results in a more economical design, especially for structures with high degree of indeterminacy. The first structure designed plastically in the U.S. was in 1957. Examples are .......

Plastic design example

First high-rise building designed by plastic method:Bladensburg, Maryland, USA

Introduction

Material behaviour for a beam

Maximum moment at mid-span

Stress variation as load increases

fe fy fy fy

Compression

Mp = Ms
Plastic neutral axis

Tension fe fy Elastic fy Elastic-plastic fy Plastic

curvature

Plastic analysis for indeterminate structures

When the bending moment at a section reaches its plastic moment Mp (= Ms), the section behaves like a hinge. This section is called a plastic hinge (within a very small length). As load increases, more plastic hinges occur until the structure collapses. For design, Design load = Collapse load.
Collapse load Load Collapse Elastic-plastic state (reserve strength)

Cross-section in fully plastic state Slope Stiffness of structure Deflection

Elastic state

Plastic vs. elastic design

Elastic design: the first plastic hinge should occur at or above the design load level Plastic design: the last plastic hinge should occur at or above the design load level
Design load Elastic design Plastic design Reserve strength

Load

Deflection
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Limitations when using plastic method

Sections showing no sign of local buckling: use compact sections - Mp = Ms = Zefy and Ze = lesser of S and 1.5Z Ductile enough to undergo plastic rotation
Hot-formed, doubly-symmetric I-sections with fy 450 MPa No fatigue requirements
fy e y 6e 0.2 fy

0.15

Limitations when using plastic method

No lateral-torsional buckling: Ms = Mb = smMs and sm 1.0 Provide adequate lateral restraints:

250 L (80 + 50 m ) ry fy

Plastic bending:

Local buckling:

Spreadsheet method for plastic analysis

Example
C 6m

100 kN 6m B A

Stage 1: For P = 100 kN, MA = 3PL/16 = 225 kNm, MB = 5PL/32 = 187.5 kNm For A, A = 270/225 = 1.2 For B, B = 270/187.5 = 1.44 Total MA = 1.2x225 = 270 kNm, Total MB = 1.2x187.5 = 225 kNm.
225 kNm

Cup filling analogy:

A
Mp = 270 kNm 187.5 kNm

load factor 1 = 1.2, hinge formed at A.

A
Mp = 270 kNm 225 kNm

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Spreadsheet method for plastic analysis

Stage 2: For P = 100 kN, MA = 0, MB = PL/4 = 300 kNm For B, remaining plastic moment capacity = 270-225 = 45kNm load factor 2 = 45/300 = 0.15, Total MA = 270 kNm, Total MB = 225 + 0.15x300 = 270 kNm.
Fig. 8.8 A B
45 kNm Mp = 270 kNm 225 kNm

Total c = 1+ 2 =1.2 + 0.15 = 1.35 Collapse load Pw = cP = 1.35x100 = 135 kN

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Spreadsheet implementation

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Notes to computer analysis

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6.

Perform a linear analysis by computer for the structure subject to original loading. Scale the loading and calculate the load factor for each member; the smallest is the critical cr. Calculate the residual plastic moments for all other sections. Insert hinge at the section with cr and repeat the above (1) to (4) until collapse. Theory: Determinant of [K] = 0. When using computer: Run time error due to zero determinant, or dramatic increase in displacements. Collapse load = design load X cr .
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