Steel Structure Design Methods Flashcards
7 cards from real Civil Engineering PE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Steel Structure Design Methods flashcards as text
A composite steel beam uses shear studs to transfer horizontal shear between the steel section and concrete slab. The total horizontal shear force V' for full composite action between the point of maximum moment and zero moment is:
Answer: The lesser of 0.85f'cAc and AsFy
Full composite action requires the shear connection to transfer the lesser of concrete compression capacity (0.85f'cAc) and steel tension capacity (AsFy).
In AISC LRFD, what is the design flexural strength φbMn for a compact W-shape beam with adequate bracing?
Answer: φbMn = 0.90 × Mp = 0.90 × FyZx
For a compact, adequately braced section, Mn = Mp = FyZx and φb = 0.90, so φbMn = 0.90FyZx.
Serviceability deflection limits for steel floor beams under live load are typically:
Answer: L/360
IBC and AISC recommend a live-load deflection limit of L/360 for floor beams to prevent cracking of brittle finishes.
Which steel property is used to calculate thermal expansion in steel structures, critical for bridge design?
Answer: Coefficient of thermal expansion α = 6.5 × 10⁻⁶ /°F
Thermal deformation ΔL = αLΔT; for steel, α = 6.5 × 10⁻⁶ /°F is the standard value used in structural calculations.
In the plastic design method for continuous steel beams, collapse occurs when enough plastic hinges form to create a:
Answer: Mechanism (statically unstable structure)
Plastic collapse occurs when sufficient plastic hinges form to convert the structure into a mechanism, preventing additional load resistance.
A steel plate girder with a very slender web uses transverse stiffeners to develop post-buckling tension field action. This behavior is described by:
Answer: Wagner's tension field theory, where diagonal tension carries shear after web buckling
Tension field action (Wagner theory) allows the web to carry shear through diagonal tensile stresses after the web has buckled, significantly increasing shear capacity.
For seismic design of steel special moment frames (SMF), the connection must be capable of developing a minimum interstory drift angle of:
Answer: 0.04 radians
AISC 341 requires SMF beam-column connections to demonstrate adequate performance at an interstory drift angle of at least 0.04 radians.