Prepared by the Committee on Practice to Reduce Failures of the Forensics Engineering Division of ASCE

Steel Structures: Considerations to Reduce Failures due to Instability provides a detailed overview of the issues associated with the instability of steel structures. As structures have developed and evolved to utilize both slender and less heavy elements, the incidence of buckling instability has increasingly been encountered. Communication between the design and construction teams, changes in the design and construction contract process, and continuing education are vital to the thorough understanding of potential instability of steel structures and for preventing reoccurrence of failures.

This book focuses on the various forms of instability associated with compressive forces, bending, shear, and torsion, including global and local buckling. Topics covered include:

• Case studies of nineteenth and twentieth century failures;
• Introduction to the theory of instability, including its historical development;
• Material considerations;
• Effects of welding and fabrication details;
• Load demands; and
• Recommendations on current practice for both temporary conditions and permanent design.

This book will be of value to structural and civil engineers, architects, contractors, steel fabricators, erectors, and those involved with the assessment and design of steel structures.