Plate Girders

• Plate girder is a built-up flexural member having a slender web.

• It is used when the range of rolled shapes has been exceeded.
• It can be used for spans ranging from 25 to 45m. However, for bridges, this
range may increase to 120 m.
• It usually falls in class (3) section for the flange and either class (3) of class
(4) for the web .

Top flange

Web

Fillet weld

Bottom
1 flange

Sequence of fabrication of plate girder

1
 3

Step (1): Preliminary proportioning of an economical girder

• The optimum web depth to be approximated to the nearest 10 mm

Mf = factored moment (kN.m)

Fy = yield stress MPa

Flange area: Mf
b
Fy Af t
To make the flange Class (3), let
bel/t = b/2t = 200 /√Fy
try b × t with:

d w h
Substitute b = 20 t in Af equation
to get t, then round it up to be in the
order of 10 mm, 12, 14, 16, …
Then, get b and approximate it to
4
the nearest 10 mm. Fy b

2
 Web Thickness:

• This equation is based on: web carrying all the shear force
• Assume shear yield stress, Fs = 0.66 Fy
• Vf = factored shear force
• Minimum web thickness for corrosion protection = 4.5 mm, however, start with 8 mm
thickness. Calculate w and approximate it to nearest mm.
• Make sure that the slenderness ratio, h/w, does not exceed 83,000 / Fy [Clause 14.3.1]
• Select w to meet the three criteria mentioned above and in the order of 8 mm, 10, 12, 14,
16, 18, 20 ……..
Step (2): Girder elastic properties t
• Moment of Inertia:

d w
• Elastic section modulus: h

• Flange area:

b 5
• Web area:

Step (3): Check flexural capacity (given that the flange meets class (3)
Mr ≥ M f Resisting moment ≥ Factored applied moment Page 1-72

• If ∴ Mr = φ . S . Fy = φ . My

• If ∴ Mˈr =

where Mr = φ . Mp = φ . Z . Fy for class (2) flange

Mr = φ . My = φ . S . Fy for class (3) flange
___________________________________________________________
• Note: In the above second case of slender (thin)
web buckling may occur under pure bending, thus
the web will be less effective in resisting the
bending moment, while the flange will receive
a higher stress than that calculated (a thin web will
not permit the attainment of the theoretical yield 6
moment of the section, thus, a reduction is applied).

3
 Step (4): Design for factored shear force
Note: this step is applicable not only to plate girder but also to any rolled steel section
(W shapes, WWF shapes, HSS and other built-up sections).

Case (2): stiffened web Case (1): unstiffened web

Intermediate
stiffener

Support Support

Bearing
Support stiffener
Support

Girder cross-section 7

Page 1-74
Clause 14.5.5

1- To prevent tipping of the flange under loading, intermediate stiffeners shall be attached
To the compression flange.

2- When stiffeners are cut short of the tension flange, the distance cut short shall be equal
To or greater than four times but not greater than six times the girder web thickness.

4
• Case (1): for unstiffened web:
Failure may be due to
1. Shear yielding of web d h
2. Local buckling of web
a = panel length
Center-to-center distance between
Vf = factored shear force transverse web stiffeners

Vr = factored shear resistance = φ. Aw .Fs

Where Aw= area of web subjected to shear force
Fs = shear strength h

– Aw = d.w for rolled section

– Aw = h.w for plate girders
– Aw = 2dt for rectangular HSS or 2ht for built-up rectangular HSS

If Vf > Vr :
option (1): use vertical web stiffeners
option (2): increase web thickness 9

Shear yield stress, Fs, for unstiffened web

Fs,
MPa

Web slenderness ratio:

10

5
To get Fs for unstiffened webs Page 1-56

Where: Fs = Ultimate shear resistance, MPa

Case (2) for stiffened web: Page 1-164

Maximum distance between vertical intermediate stiffeners:

• If

• If

12
a

6
 Page 1-57
To get Fs for stiffened webs
1

Elastic critical plate- , Inelastic critical plate-

buckling stress in shear buckling stress in shear

13

Fs = Ultimate shear resistance, MPa ,

Kv = Shear buckling coefficient

Note: If Vf > Vr, decrease panel width, a, and repeat this step.

14

7
Step (5): Check combined shear and moment Page 1-74
• When significant values of factored shear force and factored moment occur at certain
section, the effect of interaction between them should be examined.

• If Check for combined shear and moment

• If No check is required

Check (1)
At a certain section:

• Check (a):

• Check (b):

• Check (c):
15

Check (2)

The interaction check is required at the section on which factored shear force, Vf,
equals or exceeds 60% of the shear resistance of the section. Repeat check (c) at
this location.

16

8
 Step (6): Size of intermediate transverse vertical stiffeners
Bearing Bearing
stiffener stiffener

h
a
Intermediate
stiffener
Assume stiffener type and dimensions as shown below
t′
b′ w
Stiffeners furnished in pairs
b′

w
Stiffeners composed of angles placed
on one side of the web only

b′ w
Stiffeners composed of plates placed 17
on one side of the web only

Page 1-73
Check (1):

The gross-section area of a stiffener or pair of stiffeners, As ,

a: center-line to center-line distance of stiffeners (panel length)

C= but not less than 0.1

Y = shear strength of web material / shear strength of stiffener material = 1 for similar material

D (Stiffener factor) = 1.0 for stiffeners furnished in pairs

= 1.8 for single angle stiffeners
= 2.4 for single plate stiffeners

18

9
 Page 1-73
Check (2):
To ensure that the web does not move out-of-plane at this location, moment of Inertia
of the stiffener about the axis of the web should satisfy the following condition:
where h is the web height

t′
For pair of plate stiffeners, b′ w
b′

For one plate stiffener, t′

b′ w

For angle stiffener, Is =

y w

19

Check (3):

Check stability (local buckling)

____________________________________________________________
Hints:
Start with 8×80 mm steel plate and perform checks 1, 2 and 3. Increase plate size
all the checks are not satisfied.

20

10
 Page 1-65
Step (7): Design of stiffeners at the concentrated load location or at
supports (bearing stiffeners)
• Check (1): Check plate stability
Assume two plates b’ . t’, Check stability of the stiffener using the following equation:

• Check (2): Check bearing on contact area

Bearing resistance

where Astiffeners is the area of the stiffeners at the

contact with the flange
b′ w b′
Ensure that
Br ≥ reaction force or
concentrated load, Contact Area
otherwise, increase R
stiffener thickness.
21
25mm 25mm

• Check (3):Check bearing stiffener as a column at the support w

or under concentrated load
Calculate the tributary area of the column as follows: w
→concentrated load location

→ at support
25w
12w
Moment of inertia of column, √

Effective length, Horizontal

section at
Radius of gyration, exterior
support
Slenderness ratio, At concentrated
load location or
interior support
From the following equation get Cr (the factored compressive resistance)

where n = 1.34 in case of plate girder

Ensure that Cr ≥ reaction force or concentrated load, otherwise, increase 22

stiffener thickness.

11
Example: Design the plate girder for which the span and loading are shown.
the uniformly distributed load is applied through a concrete slab while the
concentrated load is applied to the top flange of the girder through a 300×300
mm base plate. Assume sufficient lateral bracing will be supplied to the top
such that lateral-torsion buckling need not be considered. Use 350W steel.

23

Step (1): Preliminary proportioning of an economical girder

= b×t = 20 t2 Then, t = 25 mm

24

12
Step (2): Girder elastic properties 25

10

500

Step (3): Check flexural strength

25

Since Mr (6370 kN.m) > the applied factored moment (Mf = 6200 kN.m),
the assumed section is adequate. 26

13
Step (4): Design for factored shear force
It is decided to use transverse stiffeners at equal intervals between supports.

Since h/w = 140 (< 150),

3800

a = 3800 mm

h
27

502 65.1

Since Vr (1190 kN) > the applied factored shear force (Vf = 1082 kN), 28
the assumed panel width is adequate.

14
Step (5): Check for combined shear and moment

-The interaction of shear and moment is critical when Vf equal or exceed

60% of Vr. Thus locate 0.60Vr = 0.6×1190 = 711 kN as shown. The
corresponding bending moment = 4751 kN.

-Check the combined effect as follows:

29

Step (6): Size of Intermediate transverse stiffeners

The required cross-sectional area of intermediate transverse stiffeners is

YD

The required moment of inertia of intermediate transverse stiffeners is

b`/t` = 80 / 8 = 10 (class 3)

Thus, the 80×8 mm intermediate transverse stiffeners is adequate 30

15
 Step (7): Size of bearing stiffeners

Check (1): Check plate stability

Check (2): Check bearing on contact area

31

Check (3):Check bearing stiffener as a column at the support

32

16