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Beam Deflections and Stresses During Lifting

Article  in  Engineering Journal (New York) · January 2011

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 Proceedings of the
Annual Stability Conference
Structural Stability Research Council
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 10-14, 2011

Beam Deflections and Stresses during Lifting

R.H. Plaut1, C.D. Moen2, R. Cojocaru3

Abstract
The behavior of beams during lifting is analyzed. The beams are circularly curved (horizontally),
doubly symmetric, prismatic, and linearly elastic, and are suspended at two symmetric locations.
The two cables lifting the beams may be vertical or inclined symmetrically. Numerical results
are presented for steel I-beams. Weak-axis and strong-axis deflections, roll angle and cross-
sectional twist, internal forces, bending and twisting moments, and longitudinal stresses are
calculated using newly derived analytical solutions. Lifting locations along the beam that
minimize displacements and stresses are identified.

1. Introduction
When a horizontally curved beam is lifted by two cables, it tends to roll (rotate) about an axis
above the beam. This causes weak-axis bending and cross-sectional twist to occur. Excessive roll
and twist may cause difficulties when the beam is put into place, e.g., on permanent or temporary
bridge supports. The objectives of the present study are to obtain analytical solutions for a basic
class of beams and to determine the effects of various parameters, such as the locations of the lift
points. For suspended beams that are intentionally curved, or are meant to be straight but have an
imperfection in shape, the displacements and stresses are of concern, and lateral buckling is
typically not an issue (Petruzzi 2010; Plaut and Moen 2011).

In the analysis, the beams are circularly curved (horizontally), the curvature is small, and the
cross-sectional dimensions are small compared to the radius of curvature. The cross section is
uniform and doubly symmetric, and its center of gravity coincides with its shear center. The
material behavior is linearly elastic and the displacements are small. The beam is subjected to its
self-weight and to the two supporting cable forces, which are symmetric with respect to midspan.

Investigations on the lifting of straight or curved beams include Mast (1989), Dux and
Kitipornchai (1990), and Stratford and Burgoyne (2000). Additional references are listed in Plaut
and Moen (2011). A recent research project at the University of Texas at Austin studied the
behavior of curved steel I-beams during lifting with vertical cables (e.g., Farris 2008; Schuh

1
D. H. Pletta Professor of Engineering (Emeritus), Virginia Tech, <[email protected]>
2
Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech, <cmoen @vt.edu>
3
Graduate Research Assistant, Virginia Tech, <[email protected]>
2008; Petruzzi 2010; Stith 2010). Results of some tests were presented, and the analysis was
mainly conducted using the finite element software ANSYS. A software program, UT Lift, was
developed, plus another program, UT Bridge, that involves construction of bridges.

The present investigation complements the UT research. The focus is not only on steel I-beams,
and the supporting cables may be inclined. Instead of applying the finite element method, the
results are obtained from new analytical equations (Plaut and Moen 2011). However, this study
is more restricted in some aspects, since it does not include nonprismatic beams, nonsymmetric
lift points, or the effect of attached cross frames.

2. Formulation
The beam is depicted in Fig. 1. A perspective with inclined cables is shown in Fig. 1(a), a top
view in Figs. 1(b) and 1(c), a side view (from the center of curvature) in Fig. 1(d), and another
perspective in Fig. 1(e). The unstrained beam has radius of curvature R, length L, cross-sectional
area A, modulus of elasticity E, shear modulus G, torsional constant J, warping constant Cw, and
self-weight q per unit length.

The subtended angle of the beam is 2α, and the cylindrical coordinate θ is zero at midspan. The
connection points D and K of the two cables are located at the lift points θ = –γ and γ,
respectively, at a distance a from the near end of the beam, and at a height H above the shear
center and parallel to the y axis (i.e., the weak axis). The line passing through D and K, which is
dashed in Fig. 1(e), is called the roll axis (or axis of rotation). The inclination angle of the cables
from the vertical is ψ toward midspan, and the offset of the center of the beam from the chord
through the ends is denoted δ.

Fig. 1(a) shows the principal axes y and z of the cross section, and the longitudinal x axis, which
is tangential to the curved axis of the member through the shear center. The origin is at midspan,
so that x = Rθ. The longitudinal deflection is U, the strong-axis deflection is V, the weak-axis
deflection is W (positive if radially outward), and the angle of twist is φ. The moments of inertia
for strong-axis and weak-axis bending, respectively, are Iz and Iy.

The center of gravity of the unstrained beam lies along the central ray θ = 0 and at a radial
distance (eccentricity) e from the roll axis, as shown in Fig. 1(c). If the center of gravity of the
whole beam does not lie in the vertical plane that includes the roll axis, then the beam exhibits a
rotation about the roll axis, as shown in Fig. 1(e), until its center of gravity lies in that vertical
plane. If the beam were rigid, the roll angle would be βrigid = Arctan(e/H) (Schuh 2008). The
deformation causes the actual roll angle β to be different. The total rotation of the plane of the
cross section at location θ is β cosθ – φ, and it is assumed that V, W, and φ are zero at the lift
points (so that the total rotation there is β cosγ). The equation for β, along with analytical
equations that furnish the internal forces and moments, deflections, twist, and stresses, are given
in Plaut and Moen (2011).

The roll angle β is usually zero when a/L is approximately 0.21 (Schuh 2008; Plaut and Moen
2011). For smaller values of a/L, β is positive, and for larger values of a/L, β is negative. As a/L
decreases or increases from 0.21, the magnitude of the roll angle increases.
 L

D K
a a
Ɣ Ɣ

z,  W
_ _

Ԅ x,  U
R
θ a a
y,  V a
a

R _ _ center  of
curvature

(a) (b)

Ɣ center  of
D e gravity K b
Ɣ Ɣ

roll  axis

(c)

s s

D K
H
x

y
(d)
roll  axis
D

K
`

(e)

Figure 1: Geometry of beam, (a) perspective, (b) top view, (c) top view, (d) side view, (e) rotation about roll axis
3. Example
Three steel I-beams, similar to ones in Schuh (2008), are considered. The beams have δ/L = 0.01,
L = 90 ft, R = 1,125 ft, web depth hw = 69 in., web thickness tw = 0.75 in., flange thickness
tf = 1.5 in., H = 66 in., E = 29,000 ksi, Poisson's ratio = 0.3, and specific weight = 490 lb/ft3. The
cables are vertical (ψ = 0). Three flange widths, bf = 12 in., 18 in., and 24 in., are considered, and
the corresponding values of A, q, Iy, Iz, J, and Cw are listed in Table 1. The effect of the
normalized overhang length is examined for the range 0.1 ≤ a/L ≤ 0.4.

Table 1: Properties of steel I-beams

bf (in.) A (in.2) q (kip/ft) Iy (in.4) Iz (in.4) J (in.4) Cw (in.6)
12 87.75 0.299 434 65,300 36.7 0.537×106
18 105.75 0.360 1,460 87,600 50.2 1.812×106
24 123.75 0.421 3,458 110,000 63.7 4.294×106

Fig. 2 shows how the roll angle varies with a/L. For small overhang lengths, the roll angle β is
positive and the cross section tilts so that its top edge moves outward (away from the center of
curvature), as shown in Fig. 1(e). For large overhang lengths, it tilts in the opposite direction.
The magnitude of the roll angle tends to decrease slightly as the flange width increases from 12
in. to 24 in.
4

bf LQ
3
bf LQ
2 bf LQ

1
ȕGHJUHHV

0
t  f b  f

í

í tw
hw

í

í
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
a/L

Figure 2: Roll angle versus normalized overhang length a/L

The twist φ at midspan is plotted in Fig. 3. It is positive for an intermediate range of the overhang
length, and negative otherwise. Fig. 4 depicts how the overhang length affects the twist at the
end of the beam (x = L/2). For a given value of a/L, as the flange width increases, the magnitudes
of the midspan and end twist usually decrease.
 0.2

í

qGHJUHHV
í

í

í
bf LQ
bf LQ
í
bf LQ

í
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
a/L

Figure 3: Twist at midspan versus a/L

0.4

bf LQ
b  LQ
0.3 f
b  LQ
f
q/GHJUHHV

0.2

0.1

í
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
a/L

Figure 4: Twist at end versus a/L

It has been recommended that the magnitude of the total rotation, |β cosθ – φ|, be less than 1.5o
(Farris 2008). The overhang length is critical with regard to this criterion. For the three flange
widths considered, the criterion is satisfied at midspan if 0.17 < a/L < 0.29, and at the end of the
beam if 0.14 < a/L < 0.29.

In Fig. 5, the weak-axis deflection W at midspan is plotted versus a/L. The roll angle is zero
when a/L = 0.211, and this deflection W(0) becomes slightly negative for a small range around
a/L = 0.22. As the flange width increases, the midspan deflection tends to decrease.
 0.8

0.7 bf LQ
bf LQ
0.6
bf LQ

0.5

WLQ
0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

í
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
a/L

Figure 5: Weak-axis deflection at midspan versus a/L

With regard to possible buckling of the flange due to compression, it is important to know the
magnitude of the longitudinal (normal) stress acting on the cross section. The maximum value
occurs at midspan, and in general is a combination of stresses due to axial load, weak-axis
bending, strong-axis bending, and warping (Seaburg and Carter 1997; Stith 2010). The first of
these stresses is zero here because the cables are vertical, i.e., ψ = 0. Summing the values of the
maximum magnitudes of each of the other stresses at the tips of the flanges, one can write an
upper bound as σn = |σby| + |σbz| + |σw|, where the stress contributions at a tip at midspan are σby
due to weak-axis bending, σbz due to strong-axis bending, and σw due to warping normal stress.

The longitudinal stress σby due to weak-axis bending is shown in Fig. 6 for the three steel I-
beams. It is highest for bf = 12 in. and lowest for bf = 24 in. For all three cases, σby = 0 at a/L =
0.21 and 0.25, and σby is very small if the lift points lie between those locations.

2.0

bf=12  in.
bf=18  in.
1.5 bf=24  in.
ıby  (ksi)

1.0

0.5

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4

a/L

Figure 6: Longitudinal stress at midspan tip due to weak-axis bending versus a/L
Fig. 7 depicts the longitudinal stress σbz due to strong-axis bending. This stress is zero at a/L =
0.25. The highest magnitude occurs for bf = 12 in., the case with the highest ratio A / Iz.


bf LQ
 bf LQ
bf LQ


ıbzNVL

í

í

í
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
a/L

Figure 7: Longitudinal stress at midspan tip due to strong-axis bending versus a/L

In Fig. 8, the midspan stress σw due to warping normal stress is plotted. It is zero at a/L = 0.25
for the three cases, and again at a/L = 0.40, 0.37, and 0.36, respectively, for bf = 12, 18, and 24
in. In comparing Figs. 6-8, the magnitude of σw is larger than the magnitudes of σby and σbz for
all three cases if a/L is small.
2.0

bf LQ

 bf LQ

bf LQ

1.0
ıwNVL



í
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
a/L

Figure 8: Longitudinal stress at midspan tip due to warping versus a/L

Finally, the sum σn of the magnitudes of these three normal stresses is depicted in Fig. 9. It is
zero at a/L = 0.25, and elsewhere is highest for bf = 12 in. In the range shown, and for these
three steel I-beams, the longitudinal stresses are not very large. Similar magnitudes were found
in tests reported in Schuh (2008).
 5.0

b  =12  in.
f

4.0 bf  =18  in.

bf  =24  in.

3.0

ın  (ksi)

2.0

1.0

0
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
a/L

Figure 9: Upper bound on magnitude of longitudinal stress at midspan versus a/L

4. Concluding Remarks
The locations of the lift points are most important. If the distance between each lift point and the
near end of the beam is not approximately one-fifth of the beam's length, the beam may rotate
significantly and exhibit undesirably large displacements and stresses. It is also important that
the torsional constant and the weak-axis moment of inertia not be too small, so that the weak-
axis deflection and cross-sectional twist are not too large.

Lateral buckling is possible if the beam is perfectly straight, but even then it will not occur for
reasonably designed beams and lift points (i.e., if the bending stiffnesses and torsional stiffness
are not extremely small, and the beam is not lifted near its ends). The governing equations for
lateral buckling are presented in Plaut and Moen (2011). For the steel I-beams considered here,
the corresponding 90-ft-long straight beam would have a critical specific weight that is larger
than the specific weight of steel by factors 2.2, 4.4, and 7.4, respectively, if bf = 12, 18, and 24
in. and if the lift points are at the ends (a = 0). The factors are larger if the lift points are not at
the ends (a > 0).

References
Dux, P. F., and Kitipornchai, S. (1990). "Stability of I-beams under self-weight lifting." J. Struct. Eng., 116(7),
1877-1891.
Farris, J. F. (2008). Behavior of Horizontally Curved Steel I-girders During Construction, Master's Thesis,
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Mast, R. F. (1989). "Lateral stability of long prestressed concrete beams, Part 1." PCI J., 34(1), 34-53.
Petruzzi, B. J. (2010). Stabilizing Techniques for Curved Steel I-girders During Construction, Master's Thesis,
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Plaut, R. H., and Moen, C. D. (2011). "Analysis of elastic, doubly symmetric, horizontally curved beams during
lifting. I: theory." J. Struct. Eng., under review.
Schuh, A. C. (2008). Behavior of Horizontally Curved Steel I-girders During Lifting, Master's Thesis, University of
Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Seaburg, P. A., and Carter, C. J. (1997). Torsional Analysis of Structural Steel Members, Steel Design Guide Series
9, American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, Illinois.
 Stith, J. C. (2010). Predicting the Behavior of Horizontally Curved I-girders During Construction, PhD thesis,
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Stratford, T. J., and Burgoyne, C. J. (2000). "The toppling of hanging beams." Int. J. Solids Struct., 27(26), 3569-
3589.

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