328 Chai Yoo

restoring force provided by the remaining portion of the cross section to

cause the section to twist. Lateral buckling is a misnomer, for no lateral
deflection is possible without concurrent twisting of the section.
Bleich (1952) gives credit to Prandtl (1899) and Michell (1899) for
producing the first theoretical studies on the lateral buckling of beams
with long narrow rectangular sections. Similar credit is also extended to
Timoshenko (1910) for deriving the fundamental differential equation of
torsion of symmetrical I-beams and investigating the lateral buckling of
transversely loaded deep I-beams with the derived equation. Since then,
many investigators, including Vlasov (1940), Winter (1943), Hill (1954),
Clark and Hill (1960), and Galambos (1963), have contributed on both
elastic and inelastic lateral-torsional buckling of various shapes. Some of the
early developments of the resisting capacities of steel structural members
leading to the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) are summarized
by Vincent (1969).

7.2. DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR LATERAL-TORSIONAL

BUCKLING
If transverse loads do not pass through the shear center, they will induce
torsion. In order to avoid this additional torsional moment (thereby
weakening the flexural capacity) in the flexural members, it is customary to
use flexural members of at least singly symmetric sections so that the
transverse loads will pass through the plane of the web as shown in Fig. 7-1.
The section is symmetric about the y-axis, and u and v are the components
of the displacement of the shear center parallel to the axes x and h. The
rotation of the shear center f is taken positive about the z-axis according to
the right-hand screw rule, and the z-axis is perpendicular to the xh plane.
The following assumptions are employed:
1. The beam is prismatic.
2. The member cross section retains its original shape during buckling.
3. The externally applied loads are conservative.
4. The analysis is limited within the elastic limit.
5. The transverse load passes through the axis of symmetry in the plane of
bending.
In the derivation of the governing differential equations of the lateral-
torsional buckling of beams, it is necessary to define two coordinate systems:
one for the undeformed configuration, x, y, z, and the other for the
deformed configuration, x, h, 2 as shown in Fig. 7-1. Hence, the fixed
 Lateral-Torsional Buckling 329

Figure 7-1 Coordinate systems and loading wy

coordinate axes, x, y, z, constitute a right-hand rectangular coordinate

system, while the coordinate axes x, h, 2 make a pointwise rectangular
coordinate system as the 2 axis is tangent to the centroidal axis of the
deformed configuration. As the loading will constitute the conservative
force system, it will become necessary to relate the applied load in the fixed
coordinate system to those in the deformed configuration. This can be
readily accomplished by considering the direction cosines of the angles
between the axes shown in Fig. 7-1. These cosines are summarized in Table
7-1. The curvatures of the deflected axis of the beam in the xz and yz planes
can be taken as d2 u=dz2 and d2 v=dz2 , respectively for small deflections. Mx
and My are assumed positive when they create positive curvatures;
EIx h00 Mx and EIy x00 My .
Since column buckling due to the axial load and the lateral-torsional
buckling of beams under the transverse loading are uncoupled in the linear
elastic first-order analysis, only the transverse loading will be considered in
the derivation of the governing differential equations. Excluding the strain
energy of vertical bending prior to buckling, the strain energy in the
neighboring equilibrium configuration is
1
Z ! "
U EIy u00 2 EIw f00 2 GKT f0 2 dz (7.2.1)
2 0
The load wy , is lowered by a net distance of ys jay j1 % cos f. Since f
is small, 1 % cos f f2 =2. The vector distance ay is measured from the
Table 7-1 Cosines of angles between axes in Fig. 7-1
x y z
x 1 f %du/dz
h %f 1 %dv/dz
2 du/dz dv/dz 1
330 Chai Yoo

Figure 7-2 Lateral-torsional deformations under wy

shear center to the transverse load application point. Hence, the loss of the
potential energy of the transverse load wy is
Z
ay
Z
Vwy ! wy ys dz wy f2 dz (7.2.2)
0 2 0
It is noted that the sign of ys is positive and ay is negative as shown in
Fig. 7-2. It should be noted that the position of the transverse load ay affects the
lateral-torsional buckling strength significantly. When the load is applied at the
upper flange, it tends to increase the positive rotation of the cross section as
shown in Fig. 7-2, thereby lowering the critical load. This could result in
a significantly lower critical value than that when the load is applied at or below
the shear center. Although the difference in the critical values is gradually
decreasing following the increase of the span length, the position of the
transverse load should be properly reflected whenever it is not negligibly small.
The first term of Eq. (7.2.2) can be expanded by integration by parts
using the relationships that can be derived from Fig. 7-3.
X
Fy 0 !Qwy Qwy dQwy wy dz

dQwy
!wy (7.2.3)
dz
wy

M bx M bx + dM bx
A
z

Qwy Qwy + dQ wy
dz
y
Figure 7-3 Free body of a differential element with wy
 Lateral-Torsional Buckling 331

X dz
MA 0 Mbx " wy dz " Qwy dQwy dz " Mbx " dMbx
2
dMbx
"Qwy
dz
(7.2.4)
Hence,
"
Z Z
dQwy Z dy
" wy ys dz ys dz Qwy ys & " Qwy s dz
0 0 dz 0 0 dz
"
dy
d2 y
" # Z
Mbx s " Mbx 2s dz (7.2.5)
dz 0 0 dz

Reflecting any combination of the geometric and natural boundary

conditions at the ends of the beam, the two terms in the above equation
indicated by slashes must vanish. Therefore,
Z
d2y ay
Z
Vwy " Mbx 2s dz wy f2 dz (7.2.6)
0 dz 2 0

The term d2 ys =dz2 represents the curvature in the yz plane; all deformations
being small, the curvatures in other planes may be related as a vectorial sum
indicated in Fig. 7-4 (it can also be seen from Fig. 7-1, ys v cos f u sin f)
d 2 ys
v00 cos f u00 sin f y v00 fu00 (7.2.7)
dz2

v
2
d ys
dz 2

2
d xs
dz 2
Figure 7-4 Relationship between u00 and v00
332 Chai Yoo

Therefore, the loss of potential energy is

Z
ay
Z
00 00
Vwy ! Mbx v fu dz wy f2 dz
0 2 0
Z Z
ay
Z
! Mbx v00 dz ! Mbx fu00 dz wy f2 dz (7.2.8)
0 0 2 0

The above equation is the change of potential energy from unloaded to the
buckled state. Just prior to buckling, f u00 0 and the static potential energy is
Z
! Mbx v00 dz (7.2.9)
0

Hence, the loss of potential energy due to buckling (in the neighboring
equilibrium) is
Z
ay
Z
00
Vwy ! Mbx fu dz wy f2 dz (7.2.10)
0 2 0
The total potential energy functional becomes
P U V
Z ! "
1 00 2 00 2 0 2
EIy u EIw f GKT f dz
2 0
Z ay
Z
00
! Mbx fu wy f2 dz (7.2.11)
0 2 0

In the case when the transverse load wx is considered for a similar

derivation, Fig. 7-5 is used, and a parallel process can be applied. By virtue
of assumption 5, the beam cross section must be doubly symmetric in order
to accommodate both wx and wx simultaneously, and as a consequence,
biaxial bending is uncoupled.
wx

C
y
x0 S
centroidal axis
z uC
A z B
S
x v
x

Figure 7-5 Coordinate systems and loading wx
 Lateral-Torsional Buckling 333

The load wx is lowered by a distance xs jax j1 " cos f as shown in

Fig. 7-6. Since f is small, 1 " cos f f2 =2. The vector distance ax is
measured from the shear center to the transverse load point.
Hence,
Z
ax
Z
Vwx " wx xs dz wx f2 dz (7.2.12)
0 2 0
It is noted that the sign of xs is positive and ax is negative as is shown in
Fig. 7-6.
The first term of Eq. (7.2.12) can be expanded by integration by parts using
the relationships that can be derived from Fig. 7-7.
X
Fx "Qwx Qwx dQwx wx dz 0

dQwx
"wx (7.2.13)
dz
X dz
MA "Mby wx dz Qwx dQwx dz Mby dMby 0
2
dMby
"Qwy 7:2:14
dz

wx

wx C
y

ax C S

C S x

S
ax xS
C
S

Figure 7-6 Lateral-torsional deformations under wx

wx
Qwx Qwx + dQwx
A z
Mby
Mby + dMby
dz
x
Figure 7-7 Free body of a differential element with wx
334 Chai Yoo

Hence,
Z Z
dQwx Z dxs
wx xs dz xs dz Qwx xs # Qwx dz
0 0 dz 0 0 dz
dx
Z
d 2 xs
! "
Mby s Mby 2 dz (7.2.15)
dz 0 0 dz

Reflecting any combination of the geometric and natural boundary

conditions at the ends of the beam, the two terms in the above equation
indicated by slashes must vanish. Therefore,
Z
d2 xs ax
Z
Vwx Mby 2 dz wx f2 dz (7.2.16)
0 dz 2 0
The term d2 xs =dz2 represents the curvature in the xz plane; all deforma-
tions being small, the curvatures in other planes may be related as a vectorial
sum as indicated in Fig. 7-4.
d 2 xs
u00 cos f v00 sin fyu00 fv00 (7.2.17)
dz2
Therefore, the loss of potential energy is
Z
ax
Z
00 00
Vwx Mby u fv dz wx f2 dz
0 2 0
Z Z
ax
Z
00 00
Mby u dz Mby fv dz wx f2 dz (7.2.18)
0 0 2 0
The above equation is the change of potential energy from unloaded
to the buckled state. Just prior to buckling, f v00 0, and the static
potential energy is
Z
Mby u00
0

Hence, the loss of potential energy due to buckling (in the neighboring
equilibrium) is
Z
ax
Z
00
Vwx Mby fv dz wx f2 dz (7.2.19)
0 2 0
For biaxial bending, the total energy functional given by Eq. (7.2.11) can
be extended as
 Lateral-Torsional Buckling 335

Z ! " # " # " # " #

1 00 2 00 2 00 2 2
P EIy u EIx v EIw f GKT f0
2 0
Z Z Z " # $
00 1
00 2
# Mbx fu dz Mby fv dz ax wx ay wy f dz
0 0 2 0
Z " #
F u00 ; v00 ; f; f0 ; f00 dz
0
(7.2.20)
It should be noted that biaxial bending can only be considered for
doubly symmetric sections by virtue of assumption 5. P will be stationary
(minimum) if the following Euler-Lagrange equations are satisfied:
vF d vF d 2 vF
# 0 (7.2.21a)
vu dz vu0 dz2 vu00

vF d vF d 2 vF
# 0 (7.2.21b)
vv dz vv0 dz2 vv00

vF d vF d 2 vF
# 0 (7.2.21c)
vf dz vf0 dz2 vf00
Noting that
vF vF vF
0; 0
0; EIy u00 # Mbx f
vu vu vu00
Eq. (7.2.21a) becomes
d2
" #
iv
EIy u # 2 Mbx f 0 (7.2.22)
dz
Similarly, Eq. (7.2.21b) becomes
d2
" #
iv
EIx v 2 Mby f 0 (7.2.23)
dz
Substituting the followings into Eq. (7.2.21c)
" #
vF 00 00
#Mbx u Mby v ax wx ay wy f
vf

vF
GKT f0
vf0
336 Chai Yoo

vF
EIw f00
vf00

one obtains
!
EIw fiv " GKT f00 " Mbx u00 Mby v00 ax wx ay wy f 0 (7.2.24)

Equations (7.2.22), (7.2.23), and (7.2.24) are general differential equations

describing the lateral-torsional buckling behavior of prismatic straight
beams. The total potential energy functional given by Eq. (7.2.20) can be
readily transformed into matrix eigenvalue problems. When the beam is
subjected to varying loads, in order to make the analysis simple it can be
subdivided into a series of elements subjected to an equivalent uniform load
determined by a stepwise uniform load. Experience has shown that no
more than three subdivisions are satisfactory for most practical engineering
problems. These equations check well with those given by Timoshenko
and Gere (1961)1 and Bleich (1952).2 It is noted that the sign adopted
herein for positive values of ay and Mbx is reversed from that in Bleich
(1952). If the beam is subjected to a transverse load, the resulting bending
moment will become a function of the longitudinal axis, thereby rendering
these differential equations to contain variable coefficients. Hence, no
analytical solution for the critical load, in general, appears possible, and
a variety of numerical integration schemes have been proposed. An
approximate energy method based on an assumed displacement function is
always possible.

7.3. GENERALIZATION OF GOVERNING DIFFERENTIAL

EQUATIONS
If a wide flange beam is subjected to constant bending moment Mbx only,
the three general governing differential equations (7.2.22 to 7.2.24) are
reduced to
d2
EIy uiv " Mbx f 0
dz2 (7.3.1)
EIw fiv " GKT f00 " Mbx u00 0

1 Page 245.
2 Page 158.