Design of Portal Frame Buildings

The book "Design of Portal Frame Buildings" by S. T. Woolcock, S. Kitipornchai, and Mark Andrew Bradford is a comprehensive guide to the design of portal frame buildings, particularly focusing on the structural aspects and the application of Australian standards. Here is a detailed overview:

Key Themes

1. Portal Frame Structures:

   • The book primarily focuses on portal frame buildings, which are widely used in industrial settings such as factories and warehouses. These structures are characterized by their rigid frames that resist horizontal wind forces and gravity loads through flexural action.

2. Design Procedures:

   • The book outlines the design procedures for portal frame buildings, including load cases, load combinations, and seismic loads. It provides detailed information on how to handle various types of loads, such as internal wind pressures and peak local pressures.

3. Limit State Design:

   • The book has been updated to reflect changes in design codes, particularly the transition from working stress design to limit state design. The first limit state edition was published in 1991, and subsequent editions have incorporated amendments to AS 4100 and AS 1170.2, as well as updates to structural connection manuals.

4. Load Combinations and Seismic Loads:

   • It covers the application of load combinations and seismic loads in the design process. This includes detailed analysis of how to handle different load scenarios and how to ensure the structure's stability under various conditions.

5. Connection Manuals and Purlin/Girt Sections:

   • The book includes new design capacity tables for horizontal SHS struts and updates on purlin and girt sections. It also provides expanded information on monorail cranes, including design examples and methods for dealing with elongated local pressure patches.

Plot Summary

The book does not have a narrative plot but rather serves as a technical guide. It is structured to provide step-by-step instructions and guidelines for designing portal frame buildings. The content is organized around key topics such as load cases, load combinations, seismic loads, and structural connections.

Critical Reception

Given its technical nature, the book has been well-received by professionals in the field of structural engineering. The updates and revisions have been praised for their thoroughness and relevance to current design practices. The inclusion of new design capacity tables and expanded information on monorail cranes has been particularly noted as a significant improvement.

Editions

The book has undergone several revisions:

• First Edition (1987): The initial working stress version was published in 1987.
• First Limit State Edition (1991): This edition was published after the transition to limit state design and included contributions from Mark Andrew Bradford.
• Second Limit State Edition (1993): This edition incorporated amendments to AS 4100 and AS 1170.2, reflecting changes in structural connection manuals and refining the limit state design process.
• Third Limit State Edition (1999): This edition was largely rewritten to cater for further changes in design codes and practices.
• Fourth Edition (2011): This edition was almost completely rewritten to account for changes in loading codes, particularly the new wind code, and included new design capacity tables for horizontal SHS struts and updated information on monorail cranes.
• Fifth Edition (2022): The latest edition has been comprehensively revised to cater for the 2020 steel structures code AS 4100 and the 2021 wind code AS/NZS 1170.2.

In summary, "Design of Portal Frame Buildings" by S. T. Woolcock, S. Kitipornchai, and Mark Andrew Bradford is a seminal work in the field of structural engineering, providing a comprehensive guide to the design of portal frame buildings. Its updates and revisions reflect the evolving nature of design codes and practices, making it a valuable resource for professionals in the field.