Design of Structural Steel Members According to CSA S16

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• Apply CSA S16 design provisions to commonly used structural steel members, including tension members, compression members, flexural members, and beam-column members.

• Evaluate key steel member behaviour and failure modes, including yielding, local buckling, global instability, block shear, and lateral-torsional buckling.

• Assess strength, stability, serviceability, and detailing requirements when designing structural steel members.

• Design and detail bolted and welded connections using accepted load transfer principles and CSA S16 requirements.

• Interpret design examples to support sound engineering judgment when applying code provisions in practice.

Description
Structural steel design involves evaluating multiple potential limit states and selecting members that satisfy both performance and code requirements. Challenges arise when member behaviour, stability effects, and connection performance interact in ways that are not immediately apparent from the code provisions alone. Developing a sound understanding of these mechanisms is essential for producing safe, efficient, and defensible designs.

This course provides a structured introduction to the design of commonly used structural steel members in accordance with CSA S16. You will work through the design of tension members, compression members, flexural members, and beam-column members, with attention to material behaviour, local and global stability, strength limits, serviceability, and common failure mechanisms.

You will also examine the design and detailing of bolted and welded connections, including load transfer, connection failure modes, slip-critical behaviour, prying action, weld resistance, and detailing requirements. Through practical examples, you will learn how to apply CSA S16 provisions and better understand the design rationale behind them. Participants who want to explore connection design in greater depth may also consider EPIC’s course on Structural Steel Connections: Design, Detail and Specifications.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for:

• Structural engineers involved in steel building or infrastructure design

• Designers and detailers working with structural steel members and connections

• Consulting engineers responsible for reviewing, specifying, or coordinating steel design work

• Specification writers who need a stronger understanding of CSA S16 steel design requirements

• Early-career through experienced practitioners seeking a structured review of steel member design

  No prior knowledge of steel design is required.

Participants are encouraged to have access to the latest edition of the Handbook of Steel Construction, published by the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, to support their understanding of the course material. This handbook is recommended but not mandatory.

Having this book is not mandatory; it is just recommended.

Welcome, Course Preview, Learning Outcomes and the Assessment Method

Introduction

• An overview of the design process in Canadian codes

• Material properties of steel

• Structural steel sections in CSA S16

Design of Tension Members

• General design requirements

• Effective net area (shear lag)

• Block shear

• Stability check

• Design examples

Day II

Design of Compression Members

• Failure modes of axially loaded members

• Local buckling

• Yielding strength

• Global stability (flexural and torsional buckling)

• Columns with class 4 sections

• Columns in moment frames

• Design examples

Day III

Design of Flexural Members

• Shear strength

• Flexural strength

• Lateral-supported and unsupported members

• Deflection limits

• Design examples

Design of Beam-Column Members

• Members subjected to axial tension and bending

• Members subjected to axial compression and bending

• In-plane and out-of-plane stability.

• Design examples

Day IV

Design of Bolted Connections

• Load transfer mechanisms in connections

• Failure modes of bolted connections (tension failure, block shear failure, bearing failure, etc.)

• Slip critical connections

• Prying action

• Detailing requirements

• Design examples

Design of Welded Connections

• Weld types and terminology

• Shear resistance

• Tensile and compressive resistance

• Detailing requirements

• Design examples

Questions and Answers and Feedback to Participants on Achievement of Learning Outcomes