On the use of the buckling length concept in the design or safety checking of steel plane frames

Abstract

This work deals with the use of the buckling length concept in the design/safety checking of steel plane frames, namely in (i) the determination of elastic critical loads and (ii) the verification of the compressed members resistance. The aim of the paper is to draw attention to several limitations and ambiguities related to the common use of the BL concept and to provide a contribution to shed some light on the issues involved. A number of simple illustrative examples are presented and discussed. Their results are physically interpreted and used to suggest a few guidelines, concerning the convenience/validity of the BL concept and the definition of alternative approaches.