AISC ASD PARAMETERS KX, KY, KZ, LX, LY, LZ, MAIN, TMAIN ... https://communities.bentley.com/other/old_site_member_blogs/bentley...

AISC ASD PARAMETERS KX, KY, KZ, LX,

LY, LZ, MAIN, TMAIN
The sequence of performing code check as per AISC 9th edition in STAAD is as follows:

1. Check for the slenderness criterion.

2. Check for deflection (if provided)

3. Check for combined axial and bending.

The member is designed and checked for rest of the provisions only if it passes the slenderness
criterion.
STAAD includes Ky, Kz, Ly, Lz ,MAIN and TMAIN parameters under design. These parameters
govern the slenderness calculation and allowable axial compressive stress of a member in design.

Ky and Kz are the effective length factor along Y and Z axes respectively. LY is the length to
calculate slenderness ratio for buckling about local Y axis and LZ is the length to calculate
slenderness ratio for buckling about local Z axis. MAIN serves two purposes in the program. This
parameter helps the user to advise the program to bypass the slenderness check and also when
defined with a value greater than unity helps to define slenderness limit for Compression. In a similar
way, TMAIN when defined with a value greater than unity defines slenderness but not in
compression, but tension.

For example, MAIN 300 ALL will tell the program that the member has a allowable slenderness value
of 300 in tension. That is, in short this replaces the default value of 200 with 300.

Slenderness Calculation
In STAAD, the slenderness check is done along both major and minor axes (Z and Y axes). The
program reports slenderness ratio as KyLy/ry and KzLz/rz for all sections in the TRACK 2 design
output.
In steel design as per AISC ASD, clause B7 (see the picture below) of the code specifies that the

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slenderness value of the member should not exceed 300 for tension members and it should exceeds
200 for compression member.

The slenderness of a member is calculated as K multiplied by L divided by r, where ‘k' is the effective
length factor, L is the default length of the member (unless otherwise specified) and ‘r' is the radius of
gyration and it is calculated as sqrt (I/A).

Design Parameter KX, KY and KZ

The effective length factor is defined as per the end conditions of a member. In the program there are
two provisions of defining these factors. One method is that we can ask the program to calculate the
KY and KZ by clicking the CALCULATE tab in the GUI. By this the program calculates the K factor on
the basis of the chart provided in section C-C2 of the code as shown below. However, this is not very
reliable and users are urged to check their values.

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Other method is to specify the effective length factor by the user against the Ky and Kz parameter
and these values can be obtained from Table C-C2.1 of the code as shown below.

LX, LY and LZ

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LY is the length to calculate slenderness ratio for buckling about local Y axis and LZ is the length to
calculate slenderness ratio for buckling about local Z axis. The default values that the program
considers for LY and LZ are the respective member lengths. Let us illustrate the problem with the
following example.

See the attached STAAD file. A beam joins the column at mid height. That is, the beam restrains the
column from buckling about the Z axis. The beam will split the column to two members. So for the
purpose of calculating slenderness along Z axis we have to provide LZ as 5.0 meters for both top
and bottom members of the column whereas, when the slenderness about the Y axis need to be
considered, then LY has to be provided as 10 meters.

Consider the following STAAD input file

=======================
STAAD SPACE
START JOB INFORMATION
ENGINEER DATE 27-May-08
END JOB INFORMATION
INPUT WIDTH 79
UNIT METER KN
JOINT COORDINATES
1 0 0 0; 3 1.5 0 0; 4 0 10 0; 5 1.5 10 0; 6 0 5 0; 7 1.5 5 0;
MEMBER INCIDENCES

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2 1 6; 3 3 7; 4 6 4; 5 7 5; 6 6 7;
DEFINE MATERIAL START
ISOTROPIC MATERIAL1
E 2.05e+008
POISSON 0.25
DENSITY 77
ALPHA 1.2e-005
DAMP 2.8026e-044
ISOTROPIC STEEL
E 2.05e+008
POISSON 0.3
DENSITY 77
ALPHA 1.2e-005
DAMP 0.03
ISOTROPIC CONCRETE
E 2.17185e+007
POISSON 0.17
DENSITY 23.5616
ALPHA 1e-005
DAMP 0.05
END DEFINE MATERIAL
MEMBER PROPERTY AMERICAN
2 TO 5 TABLE ST W10X68
6 TABLE ST W8X18
CONSTANTS
MATERIAL STEEL ALL
SUPPORTS
1 3 FIXED
MEMBER OFFSET
6 START 0.05 0 0
LOAD 1 ULTIMATE
SELFWEIGHT Y -1 LIST 2 TO 6
PERFORM ANALYSIS
PARAMETER 1
CODE AISC
LY 10 MEMB 2 TO 5
LZ 5 MEMB 2 4
TRACK 2 MEMB 2 4

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unit kip inch

CHECK CODE MEMB 2 4
print memb prop
print material prop
FINISH
=======================

Let us consider the member number 2. In this case the program calculates the slenderness as
follows. We have assumed the value of K as 1.0. LZ as 5.0 meters', "r" the radius of gyration is equal
to sqrt of I divided by A
K = 1.0

LZ = 5.0 = 500 cm

Rz = sqrt (Iz/A)

= sqrt (16399.52/129)

= 11.27 (The same is reported in the detailed output result, when you provide a TRACK 2 parameter)

KL/rz = 1.0 x 500/ 11.27

= 44.35

This value is denoted as KL/R-Z and in the output file. In a similar manner, the value of KL/R-Y can
also be found.

Notes on slenderness calculation:-

1.) STAAD by default checks slenderness for all members being CODE CHECKed or SELECTed,

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regardless of whether or not they have an axial force.

2.) Members with zero axial force are usually checked against the slenderness limits for tension.

3.) For singly symmetric shapes such as Tees and Double Angles, the KL/r value for the Y axis is
calculated by STAAD using the rules for FLEXURAL TORSIONAL BUCKLING as explained in page
3-53 of the AISC ASD manual. It is not calculated as Ky multiplied by Ly divided by ry. This is
because for these type of members FLEXURAL TORSIONAL BUCKLING is the primary mode of
failure and not FLEXURAL BUCKLING.

In case you don't want the member to be checked as per the above criterion, you may set KX and LX
to very small values, so that, flexural torsional buckling will not govern, and flexural buckling will. In
that situation, KyLy/Ry will match your hand calculation.

You can add the following commands to simulate that condition.

KX 0.1 MEMB 1506

LX 0.1 MEMB 1506

Apart from calculating slenderness, the aforementioned parameters are also used, in arriving at the
allowable stress in compression according to the clauses mentioned in CHAPTER E of the code.

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If we consider the same member 2 of the above model, and see how the program arrives at the value
of FA, the allowable axial load carrying capacity.

Cc = sqrt (2 ∏2 E/Fy)

= sqrt (2 x 3.14 x 3.14 x 29000/36)

= 127.6

The value of KL/R which is greater of KL/Rz and KL/Ry is considered for further calculations.

Therefore, KL/R = 152.1

KL/Ry > Cc

Fa = (12 x 3.14 x3.14 x 29732.7)/(23 x 152.1 x 152.1)

= 6.62

8 comments 0 members are here

Anonymous over 9 years ago

thks for this , it's very clear.

However for some reasons, in my model when KL/R is above Cc, the unity check is not calcultated. Do
you know why ?

er.farooqueazam over 9 years ago

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thanks

it was very useful to me..thanks

Anonymous over 9 years ago

Hi all,

'One method is that we can ask the program to calculate the KY and KZ by clicking the CALCULATE
tab in the GUI. By this the program calculates the K factor on the basis of the chart provided in section
C-C2 of the code as shown below.'

Could someone tell me how can I automatically calculate KY and KZ in Staad?

Thanks,

GJ

Offline waqar fazi over 3 years ago in reply to Anonymous

DEAR SIR,

FROM WHERE I CAN GET THIS TABLE C C 2.1?

Offline Ram Sheshan over 3 years ago

Sir thanks for the explanation can you put some examples for rafters also..?

Offline Chuan Nguyen Cong over 2 years ago

It's very helpful, many thanks.

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