Design Aspects of Single-Angle Members

Used since the very beginning of steel construction, single angle members are found in many different kinds of structures. Nearly all single-angle members are eccentrically loaded in some fashion, yet truss chords, tower legs and similar members not carrying transverse loads are usually designed as centrally loaded members. The ANSI/AISC 360-05 Specification for Structural Steel Buildings prescribes complex design calculations for eccentrically loaded single angles, but also provides simplified equations that adjust the KL/r ratio to account for eccentricities and end restraints. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of simpler calculations and to explore the behavior of single-angle members.