Eurocode 4 – Composite

Bridges:
Beam Section
Verification
 Beam Design to EC4, is covered in this
Beam design course in five modules;

• Introduction
• Analysis – EC4 section 5
• Section verification - EC4 section 6.1 and
6.2
• Shear connection – EC4 section 6.6
• Fatigue and SLS – EC4 section 6.8 and 7

This module primarily covers ULS

verification of composite beam cross
sections where a steel girder is underneath a
reinforced concrete deck.
 Design to EC4, as with all Eurocodes, is to
Section both ‘Ultimate Limit State’ (ULS) and
‘Serviceability Limit State’ (SLS). With
Verification each state there are a corresponding set of
checks required;

ULS checks (capacity):

• Shear
• Moment
• Buckling
+ Longitudinal shear & Fatigue

SLS checks (stresses):

• Concrete
• Reinforcement
• Steel
+ Deflections & Crack widths
 EC4 refers to the classification of steel
Section elements to EC3-1-1 cl. 5.5.2 – with
composite section being classified as the
Classification least favourable class of its steel elements in
compression, but with some additional
5.5 rules/oddities;

• Section classification will usually change

during construction

• Steel compression flanges connected to

concrete can be classified as Class 1 or 2
based on shear studs spacing and edge
distance (EC3-1-1 cl. [Link])

- longitudinal spacing < 22tf(235/fy)0.5

- clear distance to edge of flange < 9tf(235/fy)0.5

 For sections in Class 1 and 2 with bars in
Section tension, and using plastic or non-linear
resistance to bending there is a minimum
Classification requirement for the area of reinforcement As
provided within the effective width beff of
5.5 the concrete flange (EC3-1-1 cl. 5.5.1(5))

In general, classification will not usually

affect section properties used for global
analysis.
 EC4 refers to both EC2 & EC3 when
Design defining stresses used in Ultimate Limit
State (ULS) design;
Stresses
For Concrete
-ULS - fcd=fck/γC from EC4 [Link]

For Reinforcement
- fsd=fsk/γS, from EC2

For Steel
- fyd=fyk/γΜ0 from EC3

However for stability in Steel…

- fyd=fyk/γΜ1 from EC3
 Under characteristic combination of actions
Design SLS stresses are defined as;

Stresses • Concrete (from EC2 part 2) 0.6fck for

exposure classes XD, XF and XS
-SLS 7.2.2
• Reinforcement (from EC2 part 1-1) 0.8fsk
generally or 1.0fsk if due to imposed
deformations.

• Structural steel (from EC3 part 2) fy

NB limit of 0.45fck for concrete at quasi-

permanent loads for creep. 0.6fck is also
applicable for combining local and global
effects.
 Checking Shear at ULS;
ULS
-shear 6.2.2 • Plastic shear resistance calculated on steel
web according to EC3, part 2 with
references to part 1-1

• Shear buckling resistance calculated

according to EC3, part 2 with references
to part 1-5.

In the case of high shear i.e. applied shear is

greater than 50% of the shear resistance
(plastic or buckling). Shear effects need to
be taken into account when calculating
moment and axial resistance.
 High shear forces reduce the moment
ULS capacity of the section (discussed on
following pages). Effects are different
-Shear and depending on the Section Classification;

Moment • For Class 1 and 2 sections high shear

leads to a reduction in the web yield
strength used

• For Class 3 and 4 sections moment

resistance is between the plastic
resistance of the full section and that of
the section excluding the web

For class 3 and 4 EC4 [Link]. (3) refers to

EC3-1-5 but note the EC4 definitions of
Med, MplRd and MfRd, (which are further
clarified in PD6692-2).
 There are several methods of defining
ULS bending resistance at ULS to EC4;

-bending • Plastic resistance moment can be used

for Class 1 or 2 sections only
resistance
6.2.1. • Elastic resistance moment can be used for
all classes

• Non-linear resistance moment has

similarities to elastic resistance but allows
for yielding in steel and non-linear
behaviour in concrete.

These are discussed on the following pages.

Note: Account of staged construction should

be made when calculating the stresses
 Plastic resistance moment can only be used
ULS with Class 1 or 2 sections;

-plastic • For steel grades up to S355 (see next page

for higher grades) stress distribution is
resistance given in figure 6.2 (below)
moment
[Link]

Note that generally for Sagging case (top

diagram) reinforcement in the slab is
neglected.
 For structural steel grades S420 or S460:
ULS
-plastic If the distance xpl between the plastic neutral
axis and the extreme fibre of the concrete
slab in compression exceeds 15% of the
resistance overall depth h of the member
moment A reduction factor β is applied to the plastic
resistance moment Mpl,Rd of composite
[Link] (2) sections as illustrated below;
 If a section is Class 1 or 2 but with a Class 3
ULS web EN 1993-1-1 [Link] allows the Plastic
resistance moment to be used by ignoring
-plastic the central section of the web;

resistance
moment -
sections
with class
3 webs EN 1993-1-1 says the section is classified as
effective class 2. However, as far as
restrictions on effects to be considered e.g.
thermal, shrinkage etc it is still class 3.
 Elastic analysis can be used for all classes,
ULS however where there is significant plasticity
the moments will redistribute.
-plastic
If the adjacent span is short the loadcase
resistance that produces plasticity at midspan will also
produce a high moment at the support.
moment
Therefore EC4 states that, when both;
[Link] (2) • The ratio of spans adjacent to the support
<0.6
• The cross section in hogging at the
support is class 3 or 4
Then MEd in sagging bending from elastic
analysis of a continuous beams should not
exceed 0.9Mpl,Rd.
Alternatively an analysis which takes
account of inelastic behaviour (ie a cracked
section analysis) could be used.
 Elastic resistance moment is reached when
ULS the stress in the concrete, steel or
reinforcement reaches its design value.
-elastic
Stresses will not normally vary linearly with
resistance depth because of construction stages and
different loading types (shrinkage,
moment permanent load, variable loads etc.)

[Link]. To calculate Mel,Rd (the design value for the

elastic resistance of the composite section):
1) calculate the stresses due to the applied
moment on the bare steel, M1
2) Determine the moment, M2, which needs
to be added on the composite section for
combined stress to reach the limit.
3) Mel,Rd = M1+ M2

Note: For Mel,Rd Steel stress can be taken at

the centre of the flange
 When calculating Elastic resistance for
ULS Class 4 sections either effective section or
reduced stresses should be used;
-elastic
Effective Section:
resistance • Calculate effective area for flange if
appropriate
moment – • Calculate overall stress distribution
class 4 • Calculate effective area of web based on
overall distribution
section Reduced Stress
• Guidance outlined in EC3-1-5 Section 10
 Non-linear moment resistance uses non-
ULS linear stress-strain curves for concrete, steel
and reinforcement.
-Non linear
Also need to consider construction stages
resistance
moment [Link].(6) gives a simplified method for
Class 1 and Class 2 sections based on the
force in the slab.
[Link].
 For typical composite sections lateral
Lateral torsional buckling will need to be
considered at supports for continuous beams
Torsional and cantilevers.

Buckling 6.4 Restraint to the ‘lower’ compression flange

in these cases is usually provided through
inverted U-frame action.

Note: All effects (including shrinkage,

thermal, settlement) need to be considered
even for class 1 and 2 sections.
 EC4 6.4 references three methods of dealing
Lateral with Lateral Torsional Buckling;

Torsional 1. A method for beams in bridges with

uniform cross section in Class 1, 2 or 3
Buckling 6.4.2 invokes EC3-1-1 6.3.2

2. General Method for lateral buckling

[Link]. invokes EC3-2 6.3.4

3. Simplified method - based on flange

buckling – EC4 [Link]. invokes EC3-2
[Link] and Annex D2.4

These methods are discussed on the next

pages.
 Method 1 - for beams in bridges with
Lateral uniform cross section in Class 1, 2 or 3 is
based on guidance outlined in the EC3
Torsional approach to LTB;

Buckling M b,Rd = χ LT M Rd λ LT =
M Rk

6.4.2 where...
M cr

Mcr calculated is based on the inverted U

frame providing rotational restraint.

Guidance for the calculation of the stiffness

of the restraint provided in EC4-2

Note: Expressions for the calculation of Mcr

are in design guides but only for doubly
symmetric sections.
 Method 2 - General Method for lateral
Lateral buckling based on methods outlined in EC3-
1-1 cl 6.3.4…
Torsional
For the steel section under compression and
Buckling bending (typically lower web & flange)
need to calculate;
[Link] • Load factor to reach characteristic
resistance
• Elastic critical load factor

These factors are used to calculate

slenderness, which in turn is used to find the
appropriate reduction factor on resistance
for the section.

Note: Method 2 generally requires that the

beam and slab are modelled with 2D finite
elements.
 Method 3 – Simplified method based on
Lateral flange buckling using guidance outlined in
EC3-2. General points include;
Torsional
• Lateral stiffness derived from appropriate
Buckling U-frame modelling
• Stiffness criterion set for rigid supports
[Link] • Relationship between stiffness and Ncrit of
flange
• Slenderness based on Ncrit
• Reduction factor using LTB curves in
EC3-1-1
• Reduction factor applied to composite
moment resistance (based on the uniform
section)

Note: UK PD 6695-2 gives guidance for

non-rigid end supports
 As with analysis, because composite beams
Section combine steel sections with reinforced
concrete, checking section resistance of
Verification - composite beams is complex.

summary • Staged construction and shrinkage mean

that stresses do not vary linearly over the
depth of the section.

• Cracking at the support means that elastic

analysis based on uncracked properties
can underestimate sagging moments