A Beginner's Guide to the Steel Construction Manual, 15^th ed.

Chapter 8 - Bending Members

© 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2017 T. Bartlett Quimby

Section 8.5.1

Web Local Yielding

Last Revised: 04/19/2021

The web local yielding limit state assumes that the entire applied force/reaction passes through a critical area of web located at the top of the fillet that connects the flange to the web and equals the thickness of the web times a distance that equals the actual bearing distance plus a distance of 2.5k on each side of the bearing length, where the length is available. Figure 8.5.1.1 shows how this is applied both at the end of a beam and on somewhere away from an end of the beam.

Figure 8.5.1.1
Web Local Yielding Parameters
Click on hotlinks in image for larger views

Note that, at the end of the beam, there is less material available in the web (i.e., the length of the critical area is shorter) than when away from the end of the beam. Consequently, there is not as much strength available near the end of the beam as there is when away from the end of the beam.

The maximum stress that can occur on this area is taken to be the steel yield stress, F_y. Thus, the maximum force that can be applied equals the critical area times the yield stress.

As a designer, once a beam is chosen and the reaction is known, the only variable you have direct control over (without adding bearing stiffeners) is the actual bearing length l_b.

Bearing stiffeners, similar to shear stiffeners except they are in contact with the flange where the load is applied, distribute the shear reaction over the depth of the web. The critical area can be increased by the addition of bearing stiffeners, which are discussed in a different section of this text.

The Limit State

SCM J10.2 covers web local yielding due to concentrated point loads applied to the flange.

The basic limit state follows the standard form. The statement of the limit states and the associated reduction factor and factor of safety are given here:

The values of R_u and R_a are the LRFD and ASD factored loads, respectively, applied to the beam. 

In this case R_n is the nominal web yielding strength of the member is computed using SCM equations J10-2 and J10-3 re-arranged here slightly:

R_n = F_yA_cr

Where:

• F_y is the tensile yield stress of the beam steel.
• A_cr is the critical cross-sectional area at the top of the fillet that connects the web and flange of the member.
  • For forces applied away from the end of the beam, A_cr = (5k + l_b) t_w
  • For forces applied at the end of the beam, A_cr = (2.5k + l_b) t_w
• l_b is the actual bearing length on the flange. This is the length of contact with the supporting or supported element.
• k is the distance from the face of the flange to the top of the fillet that connects the web to the flange. This value is tabulated in the W shape section property tables.

This limit state is to be checked at each location where a concentrated force is applied transverse to the axis of a member. This typically occurs at support reaction locations and where the beam supports a column or beam reaction applied to the top of the top flange.

Sample Spreadsheet Calculation

The given spreadsheet example computes the reaction capacity, R_n, as controlled by local web yielding for a typical W section. The input values are in the grey shaded cells and the results in the yellow highlighted cells.

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