A Beginner’s Guide to 
          the Steel Construction Manual 
                               
                               
            An introduction to designing steel structures using the  
               AISC Steel Construction Manual, 14th edition. 
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                              By 
                               
                   T. Bart Quimby, P.E., Ph.D., F.ASCE 
                               
                        Owner & Principal Engineer 
                          Quimby & Associates 
                          Eagle River, Alaska 
                               
                        Professor of Civil Engineering 
                       University of Alaska Anchorage 
                               
                               
                               
                               
                            August 2011 
                         2nd Edition, First Printing 
                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
                                                               
               Published by: 
                
                      Quimby & Associates 
                      18110 MacLaren Street 
                      Eagle River, Alaska 99577 
                       
                      Email:  QandA@alaska.com 
                
               ISBN-10: 0615521320 
               ISBN-13: 978-0-615-52132-9 
                                                               
               Printed in the United States 
                                                               
                                                               
                                                     Copyright © 2011 
                                         By T. Bartlett Quimby, P.E., Ph.D., F.ASCE 
                                                               
                 All rights reserved.  This hardcopy edition of the textbook 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. 
                
               Cover Photo:   
                      Providence Alaska Medical Center Addition—July 2011 
                      Structural Engineering by BBFM Engineers, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska                               
               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 ............................................................................... 4-17 
                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 ........................................................................................... 4-27 
                 4.9.1 Example Problem 4.1 ......................................................................... 4-27 
                 4.9.2 Example Problem 4.2 ......................................................................... 4-30 
                 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 .................................................... 5-15 
                5.4     Effective Areas of Base Metal ........................................................................... 5-17 
                5.5 Strength Limit State ........................................................................................ 5-21 
                5.6 Designing Welds ............................................................................................. 5-25 
                5.7 Weld Summary ............................................................................................... 5-28 
                5.8 Example Problems ........................................................................................... 5-29 
                 5.8.1 Example Problem 5.1 ......................................................................... 5-30 
                 5.8.2 Example Problem 5.2 ......................................................................... 5-31 
                 5.8.3 Example Problem 5.3 ......................................................................... 5-32 
                 5.8.4 Example Problem 5.4 ......................................................................... 5-33 
                 5.8.5 Example Problem 5.5 ......................................................................... 5-36 
                5.9 Homework Problems ....................................................................................... 5-38 
                 
                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 Stability Analysis Methods .................................................................................. 6-9 
                6.5 Example Problems ........................................................................................... 6-10 
                 6.5.1 Example Problem 6.1 ......................................................................... 6-11 
                 6.5.2 Example Problem 6.2 ......................................................................... 6-12 
                 6.5.3 Example Problem 6.3 ......................................................................... 6-15 
                6.6 Homework Problems ....................................................................................... 6-24 
                 
                  
                iv  A Beginner’s Guide to the Steel Construction Manual 
                  www.bgstructuralengineering.com