01.00.

01
FLEXURAL PROPERTIES OF STRINGER SECTIONS (LIPPED AND UNLIPPED
ANGLES, CHANNELS AND Z-SECTIONS)

1. NOTATION

A area of section: m2 in2

for Z- and channel sections, A = t ( h + 2d )
for lipped Z and lipped channel sections, A = t ( h + 2d + 2c )
for lipped angle sections, A = t ( 2d + 2c )

c width of each lip m in

d width of each flange m in

h depth of web m in

I second moment of area of section about axis through centroid of section m4 in4
parallel to a flange.

k radius of gyration of section, about same axis as I m in

t thickness of web, flanges and lips m in

Both SI and British units are quoted but any coherent system of units may be used.

2. NOTES

2.1 Channel and Z-Sections

2 2
Figures 1, 2 and 3 present the ratio k /A , which equals I/A , plotted against d/h for various values of
h/t and A/t 2 for three different values of c/h . The chain dotted lines shown in Figure 1 represent the
extreme practical range of values of d/t . At the lower end of this range premature lateral instability may
occur and at the higher end the outstanding flanges may become laterally unstable.

It is assumed that the stringer is constrained to bend in the plane of the web, and therefore it should be noted
that the moment of inertia of the stringer is about an axis through its centroid parallel to the flanges and is
not the moment of inertia of an unconstrained strut.

2.2 Angle Sections

2 2
Figure 4 presents the ratio k /A , which equals I/A , plotted against the ratio c/d for various values of
2
d/t and A/t . The chain dotted lines represent the extreme practical range of values of c/t . At the lower
end of this range premature lateral instability of the flange may occur, and at the higher end the lips may
become laterally unstable.

It is assumed that the stringer is constrained to bend in the plane of one flange, and therefore it should be
noted that the moment of inertia of the stringer is about an axis through its centroid parallel to the other
flange, and is not the moment of inertia appropriate to the bending of an unconstrained strut.

Issued September 1943

With Amendment A, April 1980
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2.3 General
2
Of two struts of the same material and the same area, the one with the higher k /A ratio would fail in
flexure at a higher load, so this ratio is, on a weight basis, a criterion for the efficiency of the strut in flexure.

The possibility of local instability must be examined separately.

The curves are drawn for sections with sharp angles, but they may be applied to sections with rounded
corners provided that the actual cross-sectional area is used instead of A .

3. DERIVATION

For lipped angle sections the equation is

t 2 3 3 2 t 4 3 2 2 3 4
I = ------ [ t ( c + d ) + 4 ( c + d ) + 12cd ] – ---------------------- [ d + 4cd + 6c d + 4c d + c ] . (3.1)
12 8(c + d)

For unlipped and Z- and channel sections the equation is

t 3 2 2
I = ------ ( h + 2dt + 6dh ) . (3.2)
12

For lipped Z- and channel sections the equation is,

t 3 3 2 2 2
I = ------ [ ( h + 8c – 12hc ) + 6h ( d + c ) + dt ] . (3.3)
12

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d/t 5 10 15
5.0

4.5
90 100 A/t2

60 70 80

50 h/t
4.0
50

45
3.5

40
40

3.0

35

2
k /A = I/A2 2.5 30
30

2.0 25

20
2
20
1.5 A/t

15

1.0

10

0.5

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

d/h
c
FIGURE 1 CHANNEL AND Z-SECTIONS --- = 0
h

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4.5
90 100 2
A/t

60 70 80
4.0
h/t

50

3.5
50
45

3.0
40

40

35
2.5

2 2
k /A = I/A
30
30
2.0
25

1.5 20
20
2
A/t
15
1.0

10

0.5

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

d/h
c
FIGURE 2 CHANNEL AND Z-SECTIONS --- = 0.1
h

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4.0

3.5 A/t2 h/t

100
50

3.0 90 45

80 40
2.5

70 35
2 2
k /A = I/A

2.0 60 30

50 25

1.5

40 20

1.0 30 15

10
0.5

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

d/h
c
FIGURE 3 CHANNEL AND Z-SECTIONS --- = 0.2
h

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c/t 5 10 15
3.50

3.25
A/t2
120
3.00

110
2.75

d/t
100
2.50 50

90
2.25 45

80
2.00 40
2
k /A = I/A2

1.75 70 35

1.50 60 30

1.25 50 25

1.00 40 20

0.75 30 15

0.50 20 10

A/t2
0.25

0.00
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50

c/d

FIGURE 4 ANGLE SECTIONS