How is the moment capacity and behavior of a wide flange ste

How is the moment capacity and behavior of a wide flange steel beam affected by the consideration of the unbraced length of the compression flange?

Solution

When the beam is adequately supported against lateral buckling, the beam failure occurs by yielding of the material at the point of maximum moment. The beam is thus capable of reaching its plastic moment capacity under the applied loads. Thus the design strength is governed by yield stress and the beam is classified as laterally supported beam.

Beams which fail by flexual yielding

Type1: Those which are laterally supported

Type2: Those which are laterally shift