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CHAPTER G
DESIGN OF MEMBERS FOR SHEAR

This chapter addresses webs of singly or doubly symmetric members subject to shear in the
plane of the web, single angles and HSS sections, and shear in the weak direction of singly
or doubly symmetric shapes.
The chapter is organized as follows:
G1.
G2.
G3.
G4.
G5.
G6.
G7.
G8.

General Provisions
Members with Unstiffened or Stiffened Webs
Tension Field Action
Single Angles
Rectangular HSS and Box-Shaped Members
Round HSS
Weak Axis Shear in Doubly Symmetric and Singly Symmetric Shapes
Beams and Girders with Web Openings

User Note: For cases not included in this chapter, the following sections apply:
H3.3
Unsymmetric sections
J4.2
Shear strength of connecting elements
J10.6
Web panel zone shear

G1.

GENERAL PROVISIONS
Two methods of calculating shear strength are presented below. The method presented in Section G2 does not utilize the post buckling strength of the member
(tension field action). The method presented in Section G3 utilizes tension field
action.
The design shear strength, vVn, and the allowable shear strength, Vn /v, shall be
determined as follows:
For all provisions in this chapter except Section G2.1(a):
v = 0.90 (LRFD)

v = 1.67 (ASD)

G2.

MEMBERS WITH UNSTIFFENED OR STIFFENED WEBS

1.

Shear Strength
This section applies to webs of singly or doubly symmetric members and channels
subject to shear in the plane of the web.
The nominal shear strength, Vn, of unstiffened or stiffened webs according to the
limit states of shear yielding and shear buckling, is
Vn = 0.6Fy Aw Cv
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, June 22, 2010

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

(G2-1)

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MEMBERS WITH UNSTIFFENED OR STIFFENED WEBS

(a) For webs of rolled I-shaped members with

v = 1.00 (LRFD)

[Sect. G2.

h t w 2.24 E Fy :

v = 1.50 (ASD)

and
Cv = 1.0

(G2-2)

User Note: All current ASTM A6 W, S and HP shapes except W44230,

W40149, W36135, W33118, W3090, W2455, W1626 and W1214 meet
the criteria stated in Section G2.1(a) for Fy = 50 ksi (345 MPa).
(b) For webs of all other doubly symmetric shapes and singly symmetric shapes
and channels, except round HSS, the web shear coefficient, Cv, is determined
as follows:
(i) When h / t w 1.10 kv E / Fy
Cv = 1.0

(G2-3)

(ii) When 1.10 kv E / Fy < h / t w 1.37 kv E / Fy

Cv =

1.10 kv E / Fy
h / tw

(G2-4)

(iii) When h / t w > 1.37 kv E / Fy

Cv =

1.51kv E

( h / tw )2 Fy

(G2-5)

where
Aw = area of web, the overall depth times the web thickness, dtw, in.2 (mm2)
h = for rolled shapes, the clear distance between flanges less the fillet or corner radii, in. (mm)
= for built-up welded sections, the clear distance between flanges,
in. (mm)
= for built-up bolted sections, the distance between fastener lines,
in. (mm)
= for tees, the overall depth, in. (mm)
tw = thickness of web, in. (mm)
The web plate shear buckling coefficient, kv, is determined as follows:
(i) For webs without transverse stiffeners and with h/tw < 260:
kv = 5
except for the stem of tee shapes where kv = 1.2.
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, June 22, 2010

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

AISC_PART 16_Spec.2_B:14th Ed._

Sect. G2.]

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MEMBERS WITH UNSTIFFENED OR STIFFENED WEBS

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(ii) For webs with transverse stiffeners:

kv = 5 +

(G2-6)

( a / h )2

260
= 5 when a/h > 3.0 or a/h >

( h / tw )

where
a = clear distance between transverse stiffeners, in. (mm)
User Note: For all ASTM A6 W, S, M and HP shapes except M12.512.4,
M12.511.6, M1211.8, M1210.8, M1210, M108 and M107.5, when
Fy = 50 ksi (345 MPa), Cv = 1.0.

2.

Transverse Stiffeners
Transverse stiffeners are not required where h / t w 2.46 E / Fy , or where the available shear strength provided in accordance with Section G2.1 for kv = 5 is greater
than the required shear strength.
The moment of inertia, Ist, of transverse stiffeners used to develop the available web
shear strength, as provided in Section G2.1, about an axis in the web center for stiffener pairs or about the face in contact with the web plate for single stiffeners, shall
meet the following requirement
I st bt 3w j

(G2-7)

where
j=

2.5

( a / h )2

2 0.5

(G2-8)

and b is the smaller of the dimensions a and h

Transverse stiffeners are permitted to be stopped short of the tension flange, provided
bearing is not needed to transmit a concentrated load or reaction. The weld by which
transverse stiffeners are attached to the web shall be terminated not less than four
times nor more than six times the web thickness from the near toe of the web-to-flange
weld. When single stiffeners are used, they shall be attached to the compression
flange, if it consists of a rectangular plate, to resist any uplift tendency due to torsion
in the flange.
Bolts connecting stiffeners to the girder web shall be spaced not more than 12 in.
(305 mm) on center. If intermittent fillet welds are used, the clear distance between welds shall not be more than 16 times the web thickness nor more than 10 in.
(250 mm).

Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, June 22, 2010

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

AISC_PART 16_Spec.2_B:14th Ed.

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TENSION FIELD ACTION

G3.

TENSION FIELD ACTION

1.

Limits on the Use of Tension Field Action

[Sect. G3.

Consideration of tension field action is permitted for flanged members when the web
plate is supported on all four sides by flanges or stiffeners. Consideration of tension
field action is not permitted:
(a) for end panels in all members with transverse stiffeners;
(b) when ah exceeds 3.0 or 260htw ;
2

(c) when 2 Aw Afc + Aft > 2.5; or

(d) when hbfc or hbft > 6.0.
where
Afc = area of compression flange, in.2 (mm2)
Aft = area of tension flange, in.2 (mm2)
bfc = width of compression flange, in. (mm)
bft = width of tension flange, in. (mm)
In these cases, the nominal shear strength, Vn, shall be determined according to the
provisions of Section G2.

2.

Shear Strength With Tension Field Action

When tension field action is permitted according to Section G3.1, the nominal shear
strength, Vn, with tension field action, according to the limit state of tension field
yielding, shall be
(a) When h / t w 1.10 kv E / Fy
Vn = 0.6Fy Aw

(G3-1)

(b) When h / t w > 1.10 kv E / Fy

1 Cv

Vn = 0.6 Fy Aw Cv +
2

1.15 1 + ( a / h )

(G3-2)

where
kv and Cv are as defined in Section G2.1

3.

Transverse Stiffeners
Transverse stiffeners subject to tension field action shall meet the requirements of
Section G2.2 and the following limitations:
(1) ( b t )st 0.56

E
Fyst

V Vc1
(2) I st I st1 + ( I st 2 I st1 ) r

Vc 2 Vc1
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, June 22, 2010

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

(G3-3)
(G3-4)

AISC_PART 16_Spec.2_B:14th Ed.

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RECTANGULAR HSS AND BOX-SHAPED MEMBERS

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where
btst = width-to-thickness ratio of the stiffener
Fyst = specified minimum yield stress of the stiffener material, ksi (MPa)
Ist
= moment of inertia of the transverse stiffeners about an axis in the web
center for stiffener pairs, or about the face in contact with the web plate
for single stiffeners, in.4 (mm4)
Ist1
= minimum moment of inertia of the transverse stiffeners required for
development of the web shear buckling resistance in Section G2.2, in.4
(mm4)
Ist2
= minimum moment of inertia of the transverse stiffeners required for
development of the full web shear buckling plus the web tension field
resistance, Vr = Vc2 , in.4 (mm4)
=
Vr
Vc1
Vc2
st
Fyw

G4.

h 41st.3 Fyw

40 E

1.5

(G3-5)

= larger of the required shear strengths in the adjacent web panels using
LRFD or ASD load combinations, kips (N)
= smaller of the available shear strengths in the adjacent web panels with
Vn as defined in Section G2.1, kips (N)
= smaller of the available shear strengths in the adjacent web panels with
Vn as defined in Section G3.2, kips (N)
= the larger of Fyw/Fyst and 1.0
= specified minimum yield stress of the web material, ksi (MPa)

SINGLE ANGLES
The nominal shear strength, Vn, of a single angle leg shall be determined using
Equation G2-1 and Section G2.1(b) with Aw = bt
where
b = width of the leg resisting the shear force, in. (mm)
t
= thickness of angle leg, in. (mm)
h/tw = b/t
kv = 1.2

G5.

RECTANGULAR HSS AND BOX-SHAPED MEMBERS

The nominal shear strength, Vn, of rectangular HSS and box members shall be determined using the provisions of Section G2.1 with Aw = 2ht
where
h = width resisting the shear force, taken as the clear distance between the flanges
less the inside corner radius on each side, in. (mm)
t = design wall thickness, equal to 0.93 times the nominal wall thickness for electric-resistance-welded (ERW) HSS and equal to the nominal thickness for
submerged-arc-welded (SAW) HSS, in. (mm)
tw = t, in. (mm)
kv = 5

Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, June 22, 2010

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

AISC_PART 16_Spec.2_B:14th Ed.

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RECTANGULAR HSS AND BOX-SHAPED MEMBERS

[Sect. G5.

If the corner radius is not known, h shall be taken as the corresponding outside
dimension minus 3 times the thickness.

G6.

ROUND HSS
The nominal shear strength, Vn, of round HSS, according to the limit states of shear
yielding and shear buckling, shall be determined as:
Vn = Fcr Ag /2

(G6-1)

where
Fcr shall be the larger of
Fcr =

1.60 E
5

(G6-2a)

Lv D 4

D t
and
Fcr =

0.78 E

(G6-2b)

D 2

t

but shall not exceed 0.6Fy

Ag = gross cross-sectional area of member, in.2 (mm2)
D = outside diameter, in. (mm)
Lv = distance from maximum to zero shear force, in. (mm)
t = design wall thickness, equal to 0.93 times the nominal wall thickness for
ERW HSS and equal to the nominal thickness for SAW HSS, in. (mm)
User Note: The shear buckling equations, Equations G6-2a and G6-2b, will control for D/t over 100, high-strength steels, and long lengths. For standard sections,
shear yielding will usually control.

G7.

WEAK AXIS SHEAR IN DOUBLY SYMMETRIC AND SINGLY

SYMMETRIC SHAPES
For doubly and singly symmetric shapes loaded in the weak axis without torsion, the
nominal shear strength, Vn, for each shear resisting element shall be determined
using Equation G2-1 and Section G2.1(b) with Aw = bf tf , h/tw = b/tf, kv = 1.2, and
b = for flanges of I-shaped members, half the full-flange width, bf ; for flanges of
channels, the full nominal dimension of the flange, in. (mm)
User Note: For all ASTM A6 W, S, M and HP shapes, when Fy 50 ksi (345
MPa), Cv = 1.0.

G8.

BEAMS AND GIRDERS WITH WEB OPENINGS

The effect of all web openings on the shear strength of steel and composite beams
shall be determined. Adequate reinforcement shall be provided when the required
strength exceeds the available strength of the member at the opening.
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, June 22, 2010

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION