Study of shear provisions for stiffened plate girders

Steel design in Canada generally follows the provisions of CSA-S16-01 "Limit states design of steel structures" (CSA 2001). The provisions in this standard governing the shear design of stiffened plate girders set limits to the choice of web thickness, girder depth, and the spacing of intermediate stiffeners. This paper reviews the influence of each of the equations that govern the shear design of stiffened plate girders. The study reveals that many of the equations are unlikely to have any effect. Of the 13 equations that could restrict the design, only 3 are likely to have any influence on a typical design. This reveals avenues for possible simplification of design procedures.