Design of Beam-Columns in Steel Frames. II: Comparison of Standards

Abstract

This paper and its companion present a detailed comparison of the approaches for design of beam-columns in steel frameworks specified in the present American, Canadian, European, and Australian limit states design standards. The papers also describe and evaluate a simple modification to the current AISC LRFD Specification approach that avoids the need to calculate column effective length factors. This paper concentrates on several elucidatory examples that highlight distinct advantages and limitations in each of the design approaches. The factored design strengths predicted by each of the approaches are compared to one another, and to the results from rigorous plastic zone analyses using these benchmark problems. The paper concludes by suggesting possible changes that can lead to improvements in the accuracy and/or simplicity of the design procedures.