Notation

The following notation is used in this book except for Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 where
symbols are defined within the chapters. Where non-dimensional ratios are involved,
both the numerator and denominator are expressed in identical units. The dimensional
units for length and stress in all expressions or equations are to be taken as
millimetres and megapascals (N/mm 2) respectively, unless specifically noted
otherwise. When more than one meaning are assigned to one symbol, the correct one
will be evident from the context in which it is used. Some symbols are not listed here
because they are only used in one section and well defined in the local context.

Ae Effective net area

Aeff Effective cross-sectional area
Ag Gross cross-sectional area
An Net area of a cross-section
B Overall flange width of an RHS
D Outside diameter of a CHS, or
Overall depth of an RHS
E Young's modulus of elasticity
Ft Tensile axial force
G Shear modulus of elasticity
I Second moment of area
/w Warping constant of a cross-section
I about the cross-section major principal x-axis
/y I about the cross-section minor principal y-axis
J Torsion constant for a cross-section
L Member length, or
Total weld length
LE Effective length of a member
Lw Weld length defined in Figure 7.1
M Bending moment, or
Specified mass defined in Table 2.3
Mu Nominal member moment capacity
Mbx Mb about major principal x-axis
Me Moment capacity
Me Capacity of a member subjected to pure bending
Mi Nominal in-plane member moment capacity
Mix Mi about major principal x-axis
Miy Mi about minor principal y-axis
Mmax Maximum moment
Mo Elastic flexural-torsional buckling moment
Mox Nominal out-of-plane member moment capacity about major principal
x-axis
Plastic moment
Mrx Ms about major principal x-axis reduced by axial force
Mry Ms about minor principal y-axis reduced by axial force
Ms Nominal section moment capacity
Msx Ms about major principal x-axis
Msy Ms about minor principal y-axis
xii Notation

MX* Design bending moment about major principal x-axis

My, Yield moment
My Design bending moment about minor principal y-axis
Myz Yield moment
N~ Nominal member capacity in compression
N~y Nc for member buckling about minor principal y-axis
Ns Nominal section capacity of a compression member
Nt Nominal section capacity in tension
N* Design axial force
P Applied force
Pc Compression resistance
Pf Capacity of a member subjected to concentrated force only
PL Longitudinal shear capacity per unit length of weld
Pr Transverse shear capacity per unit length of weld
Pweb buckling Web buckling capacity
R Rotation capacity
Rb Nominal bearing capacity of a web
Rbb Nominal bearing buckling capacity
Rby Nominal bearing yield capacity
ereq Required rotation capacity
S Plastic section modulus
Sole Effective plastic section modulus
Srx Reduced plastic section modulus about the major axis
Sry Reduced plastic section modulus about the minor axis
Sx Plastic section modulus about the major axis
Sy Plastic section modulus about the minor axis
So Cross-sectional area of a tensile coupon
S* Design action effect
T Gusset plate thickness
Tr Shear lag resistance
V Twist defined in Figure 2.2
Vr Parent metal shear resistance
Z Elastic section modulus
z~ Ze for a compact section
z~ Effective section modulus
z~fe Effective section modulus
Zx Elastic section modulus about the major axis
Zy Elastic section modulus about the minor axis

a Weld throat thickness

b Overall flange width of an RHS
be Effective width
b0 Chord flange width
bl Brace flange width
Cm Factor for unequal moments
d Overall depth of an RHS
do Outside diameter of a CHS
e Eccentricity defined in Figure 6.13
fo Elastic local buckling stress
fu Ultimate tensile strength
Notation xiii

LW Weld metal strength

fy Tensile yield stress
h0 Chord web depth
hi Brace web depth
k Plate buckling coefficient
Member effective length factor
kf Form factor
kl Load height factor
kr Lateral rotation restraint factor
kt Twist restraint factor
l Member length
le Effective length of a member
12 Number of tensile bolts
Pb Bending strength
Pc Compressive strength
Pcs Compressive strength for class 4 slender cross-section
Pw Design strength of a fillet weld
Py Yield stress
F Intemal comer radius of an RHS
text External corner radius of an RHS
rx Radius of gyration about major principal axis
ry Radius of gyration about minor principal axis
s Leg length of a fillet weld
t Tube wall thickness
to Chord wall thickness
tl Brace wall thickness
w Distance between welds measured around the perimeter of the tube
defined in Section 7.4.1

Of Shear lag reduction factor

ofb Compression member section constant
Compression member slenderness reduction factor, or
Reduction factor defined in Section 6.2.2
ofm Moment modification factor
% Coefficient used to calculate the nominal bearing yield capacity (Rby)
Slenderness reduction factor
Ratio of the brace width to the chord width (bl/bo) for RHS
Ratio of smaller to larger bending moment at the ends of a member, or
Ratio of end moment to fixed end moment
Constant (250/py) ~ in AS 4100, or
Constant (275/py) ~ in BS 5950 Part 1
~c'F Constant (235/py) ~ in Eurocode 3
eu Strain at the ultimate tensile strength
ey Yield strain
Capacity factor
Partial factor for loads
Ym Partial factor for material strength
K" Curvature
/r Curvature when moment drops below Mp defined in Figure 3.5
xiv Notation

Plastic curvature
2 Slenderness ratio
& Plate element slenderness
/~ep Plate element plasticity slenderness limit
/7[r Plate element yield slenderness limit
Modified compression member slenderness
Section slenderness
&p Section plasticity slenderness limit
&y Section yield slenderness limit
~e for the web in compression only
~y L~yfor the web in compression only
V Poisson's ratio

AIJ Architectural Institute of Japan

AISC American Institute of Steel Construction
ASI Australian Steel Institute
AWS American Welding Society
BSI British Standard Institution
CHS Circular Hollow Section
CIDECT International Committee for the Development and Study of Tubular
Structures
DEn Department of Energy
EC3 Eurocode 3
IIW International Institute of Welding
kN Kilonewton
m Metre
mm Milimetre
MF Magnification Factor
MPa Megapascal (N/mm2)
RHS Rectangular Hollow Section
SCF Stress Concentration Factor
SCI The Steel Construction Institute, UK
SHS Square Hollow Section