CIVILKITSengineering tools Review the calculation

STRUCTURAL / HONG KONG STEEL

Hong Kong steel beam and column checks

Select or enter the section, inspect bending, shear, flexural compression, lateral stability and service deflection with workbook provenance beside each calculation.

Design basis must be confirmed

Hong Kong Steel Code 2011, references checked against the Buildings Department 2023 edition. Confirm the project edition and subsequent amendments. These tools do not establish complete design approval.

PARAMETER INPUT GUIDE

Choose the section, establish the actions, then review every limit.

Select the supplied workbook catalogue or enter custom section properties. Axes follow the Hong Kong workbook: x–x is major bending and y–y is minor bending. Enter concurrent analysed actions or select the simply-supported UDL take-off. Effective lengths, load factors, design strength, effective tension area and service limit remain explicit project inputs.

Worked source example

For CH 305×102×46.18, A =5,890 mm², py =355 MPa, E =205,000 MPa, Mx =156.695 kN·m and Vy =142.45 kN: Av,y =10.2×304.8 =3,108.96 mm²; Vc,y =637.210 kN; vertical shear utilisation =22.36%. The Class 1 low-shear major capacity is min(638,000,1.2×539,000)×355/10⁶ =226.490 kN·m; bending utilisation =69.18% before any member-stability checks.

The source 42 kN/m service UDL, span5.5 m and inertia82,080,000 mm⁴ produces 29.740 mm by standard simply-supported mechanics, against L/270 =20.370 mm. Its original 0.7/185 worksheet expression instead gives8.642 mm. This difference is shown explicitly; the source expression does not justify a deflection pass.

Interpretation and common mistakes

A ratio over100% exceeds that displayed check. Ratios under100% do not establish complete member design. Do not confuse physical span with effective length, enter nominal S355 as py without checking thickness, exchange EC3/HK axis names, or use an unsupported channel shear-centre assumption. The worksheet member sum is not complete §8.9 beam-column stability.

Related CivilKits guides: steel design reference and engineering units. Verify the applicable guidance and source assumptions independently.

Engineering disclaimer

These tools assist engineering calculations and do not replace professional engineering judgement or independent verification. Confirm inputs, units, assumptions, applicable standards and every governing project check with a suitably qualified engineer before safety-critical use. Software and reference workbooks may contain errors or omissions. A disclaimer does not guarantee immunity from legal liability. Read the Terms / Engineering Disclaimer.

calculation provenance

Sources and verification boundaries

CALCULATION BASIS

Workbook mapping with independently verified code references.

The tool follows the member sections, design-data take-off and catalogue property mapping of the supplied all-in-one UDL workbook. Both member tabs are mapped. Each detailed row identifies its originating worksheet/cells. Official primary references are the Buildings Department Steel Code 2011 (2023 edition), specifically Table7.1, Table8.7, §§8.2.1–8.2.2, §8.3.5, §8.6, §8.7.5–8.7.6 and Appendices8.1/8.4. No substantial code text is reproduced.

SCOPE AND EXCLUSIONS

Known workbook discrepancies are not hidden.

Source channel web limits, compression-curve selection, negative LTB Perry factor, channel I/H formula substitution, minor high-shear class references, material thickness shortcut and SLS formulas require correction or explicit independent verification. The implemented primary-source corrections and source-only comparisons are disclosed next to the calculation, with exact cell provenance.

Angles, tees, hollow sections, Class4 effective sections, torsion/warping, full beam-column interaction, second-order analysis, notches/openings, bearing/web crippling, stiffeners, fatigue, fire, vibration and connections are outside this tool. Weld, bolt and plate tools are separate topics. A low ratio in a source-only comparison is not a verified design result.