Elastic flexural–torsional buckling of steel beams with rigid and continuous lateral restraints

A simple model of the elastic buckling of steel beams with rigid and continuous lateral restraints has been developed. It is based on a method of displacements that associate lateral restraint conditions. A numerical procedure for resolving the resulting partial differential equations is proposed in which rotations are approximated by trigonometric functions. The effects of moment distribution and continuous restraints on the elastic flexural–torsional buckling of beams are also studied and design approximations and procedures developed. This study also highlights that the restraint of the tensioned part of the beam is not sufficient to limit lateral buckling. The use of these solutions is demonstrated by two examples.