: Available directly via the AISC website (often requires a membership login or purchase for the full PDF). 3. Key Topics Usually Covered
You don't need a metallurgy degree to design steel. The PDF will highlight three numbers:
| Shape | Use | |-------|-----| | W-shape (wide flange) | Beams, columns | | C-channel | Bracing, purlins | | Angle (L) | Bracing, connections | | Hollow structural section (HSS) | Columns, trusses, torsion | | Plate | Base plates, gussets, built-up members |
The primary goal of a simplified design is to find structural members—beams, columns, and trusses—that can sustain anticipated loads (gravity, wind, and seismic) throughout their 50-year design life.
$$ Z_req = \fracM_max\phi F_y = \frac1,200 \text kip-in0.9 \times 50 \text ksi = 26.7 \text in^3 $$