Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
www.elsevier.com/locate/jcsr
Abstract
Simple approximate methods for analysis of unbraced frames have played a part in encouraging the use of steel in construction. These methods
have been supported by research, to verify and to extend their scope. This paper questions their continued use and further development. It is
appropriate to do this at the present time when documentation and software are needed to introduce the Eurocodes. Approximate methods still
have a role, in initial design. For unbraced frames early consideration needs to be given to limiting sway in service conditions. A very simple
formulation is presented, to enable section sizes to be determined to satisfy this criterion.
c 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Frames; Steel; Composite; Steelconcrete; Sway; Analysis; Second-order; Serviceability; Optimisation
1. Introduction
It is expected that Eurocode Parts required for the design of
common building structures will be published in 2005. Their
preparation has taken much longer than originally expected
but the final provisions for steel and composite building
structures [1,2] are still recognisably similar to the first drafts
published in the 1980s [3,4]. The codes as published therefore
benefit from the initial leadership given by Dowling for
steelwork and Johnson for composite construction.
During the development of the Eurocodes, the drafting
groups sought to meet two principal objectives: that the codes
be user-friendly; that the codes reflect structural behaviour
accurately. When these are in conflict, preference has been
given to accuracy. Publications in support of the Eurocodes can
provide simplified recommendations if necessary and the very
widespread acceptance of software enables the drudgery of long
hand calculations to be avoided.
Software for analysis of structural frames goes back a
long way [5]. Despite this, designers have continued to use
approximate methods and the research community has provided
technical justification. Indeed some such methods have been
developed further, to address modern forms of construction and
to be compatible with limit states design codes. The analysis
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(1)
(2)
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(3)
(4)
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Substituting Eq. (10) into Eq. (6) and then from Eq. (5):
= (3K c + K b )/K b .
(11)
(12)
where:
f = Fh/(12E/ h).
where:
Z = Ic h + 0.5Ibt L + 0.5Ibb L
(5)
(6a)
kb = (K c )/(K c + 0.5K bb )
(6b)
(9)
(13)
(10)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
5.5. Application
The very simple Eq. (17) can be applied to each storey in
turn. However, as usual practice in multi-storey frames is to
run the same section through two or more storeys Eq. (17) will
only need to be applied to the lowest storey in each column lift.
Sections for the columns in the real frame can then be chosen
using Eq. (7).
As it stands, Eq. (16) leads to the same beam stiffness at the
top and the bottom of the storey. The use of the same sections at
two levels will increase repetition in fabrication and therefore
could be desirable. If Eq. (16) were to be applied to adjacent
storeys, two values of stiffness would be given for each floor
beam. This difficulty does not arise if the equations are only
applied to alternate storeys.
An alternative is to take the value for Ib calculated from Eq.
(16) and to treat this as an average value for the top and bottom
beams. Anderson and Islam [21,22] developed a relationship
between the top and bottom beams in a storey (I1 and I2 in
Fig. 3), recognising that a floor beam contributes to the stiffness
of adjacent storeys and accounting for the increasing horizontal
shear as one proceeds from storey to storey down the frame
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Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the contributions made by former
postgraduate students who have worked with him on the topic
of multi-storey frames: Dr. N.D. Brown, Dr. M.A. Islam,
Dr. K. Kavianpour, Mr. S.J. Reading, Dr. A.A. Saim and
Dr. M.Md. Tahir; and by the late Professor M.R. Horne, Mr.
A.F. Hughes, Professor K.I. Majid, and the late Dr. R.H. Wood,
who encouraged the author to carry out research on this topic.
References
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