A Beginner’s Guide to 
          the Steel Construction Manual 
                                 
                                 
        An introduction to designing steel structures using the AISC Steel 
                                     th
                    Construction Manual, 13  edition. 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                               By 
                                 
                      T. Bart Quimby, P.E., Ph.D. 
                                 
                         Owner & Principal Engineer 
                           Quimby & Associates 
                           Eagle River, Alaska 
                                 
                         Professor of Civil Engineering 
                        University of Alaska Anchorage 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                             August 2008 
                                 
                                 
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                             Copyright © 2008 
                         By T. Bartlett Quimby, P.E., Ph.D. 
                                  
          All rights reserved.  This hardcopy edition of the manual may not be copied, reproduced or 
         distributed by any means without written permission from the author.  The on-line version may 
          be freely accessed, printed, stored electronically, or otherwise distributed as long as proper 
          credit is given to the author and there is no charge to anyone for the material.  The author 
                    reserves the sole right to profit from this material. 
                                  
                                  
                         
        ii                        A Beginner’s Guide to the Steel Construction Manual 
                                          www.bgstructuralengineering.com 
                Contents 
                 
                Preface ....................................................................................................................... viii 
                 
                Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... x 
                 
                Chapter DC:  Basic Design Concepts 
                 
                DC.1  Introduction to Design Theory......................................................................... DC-1 
                DC.2   Design Objectives ........................................................................................... DC-5 
                DC.3  Limit State Concepts ....................................................................................... DC-5 
                DC.4  Searching for the Best Design ......................................................................... DC-7 
                DC.5  ASD vs. LRFD ................................................................................................. DC-8 
                DC.6  Loads and Their Combinations ....................................................................... DC-13 
                DC.7  Example Problems & Homework Problems ...................................................... DC-16 
                 
                Chapter 1:  Introduction 
                 
                1.1     Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1-1 
                1.2     History ............................................................................................................. 1-2 
                1.3     An Overview of the AISC Steel Construction Manual ............................................ 1-3 
                1.4     Computational Considerations ............................................................................ 1-8 
                1.5     Homework Structures ........................................................................................ 1-9 
                 
                Chapter 2:  Materials 
                 
                2.1     Steel Materials .................................................................................................. 2-1 
                2.2     Welding Materials .............................................................................................. 2-6 
                2.3     Bolts ................................................................................................................. 2-7 
                 
                Chapter 3:  Tension Members 
                 
                3.1     Tension Member Overview ................................................................................. 3-1 
                3.2     Slenderness ...................................................................................................... 3-3 
                3.3     Tensile Yielding of a Member ............................................................................. 3-4 
                3.4     Tensile Rupture of a Member ............................................................................. 3-6 
                3.5     Tensile Yielding & Tensile Rupture of Connecting Elements ................................ 3-12 
                3.6     Bolt Bearing on Holes ...................................................................................... 3-13 
                3.7     Block Shear Rupture ........................................................................................ 3-16 
                3.8     Selecting Sections ........................................................................................... 3-20 
                3.9     Tension Limit State Summary ........................................................................... 3-22 
                3.10    Example Problems ........................................................................................... 3-24 
                        3.10.1   Example Problem 3.1 ......................................................................... 3-24 
                        3.10.2   Example Problem 3.2 ......................................................................... 3-34 
                        3.10.3   Example Problem 3.3 ......................................................................... 3-37 
                3.11    Homework Problems ....................................................................................... 3-39 
                 
                                                
                A Beginner’s Guide to the Steel Construction Manual                                                iii 
                www.bgstructuralengineering.com 
                Chapter 4:  Bolted Connections 
                 
                4.1     Overview .......................................................................................................... 4-1 
                4.2     Mechanics of Load Transfer ............................................................................... 4-4 
                4.3     Finding Forces on Bolts ...................................................................................... 4-7 
                4.4     Hole Size and Bolt Spacing ............................................................................... 4-16 
                4.5     Tensile Rupture ............................................................................................... 4-17 
                4.6     Shear Rupture ................................................................................................. 4-19 
                4.7     Slip Capacity ................................................................................................... 4-21 
                4.8     Bolt Summary ................................................................................................. 4-25 
                4.9     Example Problems ........................................................................................... 4-26 
                        4.9.1    Example Problem 4.1 ......................................................................... 4-27 
                        4.9.2    Example Problem 4.2 ......................................................................... 4-29 
                        4.9.3    Example Problem 4.3 ......................................................................... 4-32 
                        4.9.4    Example Problem 4.4 ......................................................................... 4-37 
                        4.9.5    Example Problem 4.5 ......................................................................... 4-39 
                4.10    Homework Problems ....................................................................................... 4-42 
                 
                Chapter 5:  Welded Connections 
                 
                5.1     Introduction to Welding ..................................................................................... 5-1 
                5.2     Finding Forces on Welds .................................................................................... 5-8 
                5.3     Effective Areas and Size Limitations of Welds .................................................... 5-14 
                5.4     Effective Areas of Base Metal ........................................................................... 5-17 
                5.5     Strength Limit State ........................................................................................ 5-20 
                5.6     Designing Welds ............................................................................................. 5-24 
                5.7     Weld Summary ............................................................................................... 5-27 
                5.8     Example Problems ........................................................................................... 5-28 
                        5.8.1    Example Problem 5.1 ......................................................................... 5-29 
                        5.8.2    Example Problem 5.2 ......................................................................... 5-30 
                        5.8.3    Example Problem 5.3 ......................................................................... 5-31 
                        5.8.4    Example Problem 5.4 ......................................................................... 5-32 
                        5.8.5    Example Problem 5.5 ......................................................................... 5-34 
                5.9     Homework Problems ....................................................................................... 5-36 
                 
                Chapter 6:  Buckling Concepts 
                 
                6.1     Buckling Basics.................................................................................................. 6-1 
                6.2     General Member Buckling Concepts .................................................................... 6-3 
                6.3     Local Buckling ................................................................................................... 6-6 
                6.4     Example Problems ............................................................................................. 6-9 
                        6.4.1    Example Problem 6.1 ........................................................................... 6-9 
                        6.4.2    Example Problem 6.2 ......................................................................... 6-11 
                        6.4.3    Example Problem 6.3 ......................................................................... 6-13 
                6.5     Homework Problems ....................................................................................... 6-23 
                 
                                                
                iv                                                 A Beginner’s Guide to the Steel Construction Manual 
                                                                                    www.bgstructuralengineering.com