Structural Steel Design Course

Lesson 1 • Design Philosophy and Safety Concepts

Explains limit states design philosophy and the role of load and resistance factors. Frames how safety is quantified and applied throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Steel Grades and Specifications

Introduces standard steel grades and their designations used in structural applications. Connects material selection to performance requirements and cost considerations.

Lesson 3 • Loads on Steel Structures

Defines gravity, lateral, and environmental load types and their combinations. Establishes the load input framework used in every design chapter.

Lesson 4 • Structural Steel Shapes and Sections

Surveys standard rolled and built-up section types used in practice. Students learn to identify sections and retrieve properties from standard tables.

Lesson 1 • Net Area and Shear Lag

Teaches calculation of net and effective net areas accounting for holes and shear lag. Directly affects fracture strength calculations in tension design.

Lesson 2 • Slenderness and Serviceability

Addresses slenderness ratio limits and vibration concerns for tension members. Ensures designs meet serviceability requirements beyond strength alone.

Lesson 3 • Tension Member Selection and Design

Integrates all tension design concepts into a systematic member selection process. Students complete full design examples using angles, rods, and wide-flange sections.

Lesson 4 • Behavior of Tension Members

Explains how tension members carry load and the failure modes that govern design. Builds physical intuition before introducing formal design equations.

Lesson 1 • Effective Length and Boundary Conditions

Covers effective length factors for various end conditions and frame configurations. Accurate effective length is critical to correct buckling load prediction.

Lesson 2 • Local Buckling and Width-to-Thickness Ratios

Explains local buckling of plate elements and the compact/noncompact/slender classification. Ensures element stability is verified alongside global buckling.

Lesson 3 • Column Base Plates

Introduces design of base plates transferring column loads to concrete foundations. Connects compression member design to foundation interface detailing.

Lesson 4 • Column Buckling Theory

Introduces Euler buckling and the transition to inelastic buckling for real columns. Provides the theoretical basis for all compression design equations.

Lesson 1 • Shear Design of Beams

Addresses shear strength of beam webs and the role of web slenderness. Complements flexural design to ensure complete beam adequacy.

Lesson 2 • Lateral-Torsional Buckling

Covers the three LTB zones and how unbraced length governs flexural strength. Students learn to identify bracing requirements and compute reduced capacity.

Lesson 3 • Beam Selection and Design Procedure

Integrates flexure, shear, and deflection checks into a complete beam design workflow. Students select and verify wide-flange beams for realistic floor and roof conditions.

Lesson 4 • Flexural Behavior of Steel Beams

Explains elastic and plastic bending behavior and the plastic moment concept. Establishes the theoretical basis for flexural strength calculations.

Lesson 1 • Beam-Column Design Examples

Applies interaction equations and second-order methods to realistic frame members. Students complete design checks for columns in braced and unbraced frames.

Lesson 2 • Interaction Equations for Beam-Columns

Presents the biaxial interaction equations used to check combined loading adequacy. Students apply both strong-axis and weak-axis bending terms.

Lesson 3 • Combined Axial and Flexural Behavior

Explains how axial compression amplifies bending moments and alters member behavior. Provides the conceptual foundation for interaction equation application.

Lesson 1 • Weld Strength and Design

Applies weld strength equations for fillet and groove welds under various load orientations. Students size welds for shear, tension, and eccentric loading.

Lesson 2 • Connection Detailing and Constructability

Addresses practical detailing rules, edge distances, spacing, and inspection requirements. Constructable details reduce field errors and fabrication cost.

Lesson 3 • Weld Types and Processes

Introduces fillet, groove, and plug weld types and common welding processes. Weld selection affects strength, cost, and inspection requirements.

Lesson 4 • Bolt Types and Installation

Covers bolt grades, hole types, and installation methods affecting connection behavior. Correct bolt specification is the starting point for all bolted connection design.

Lesson 1 • Bracing Connections

Addresses gusset plate design for diagonal brace connections in braced frames. Proper gusset design ensures load transfer without premature failure.

Lesson 2 • Moment Connections

Presents fully restrained moment connection types and their design requirements. Moment connections are critical in unbraced frames resisting lateral loads.

Lesson 3 • Simple Shear Connections

Covers design of shear tabs, single plates, and clip angles for beam-to-column shear transfer. These are the most common connections in steel framing.

Lesson 4 • Column Splices and Base Connections

Covers design of column splices and anchor rod connections to foundations. Splices and bases must transfer both compression and tension under load reversals.

Lesson 1 • Braced Frame Lateral Systems

Presents concentrically braced frame configurations and their design under lateral loads. Students distribute lateral forces and design brace members and connections.

Lesson 2 • Composite Steel-Concrete Systems

Introduces composite beam behavior and the role of shear studs in composite action. Composite design increases beam efficiency and is common in floor systems.

Lesson 3 • Stability Design of Steel Frames

Addresses overall frame stability requirements including notional loads and stiffness reduction. Ensures the complete frame satisfies stability limit states beyond individual members.

Lesson 4 • Moment Frame Lateral Systems

Covers moment frame behavior, drift control, and beam-column design for lateral resistance. Drift serviceability often governs moment frame member sizing.