Comparative study of the buckling of steel beams in Eurocode 3 and the Russian code

Lateral torsional buckling is the main limit state that must be checked for steel beams. Design codes provide different models for the analysis of this complex phenomenon. The present paper describes a comparative study of the interpretation of beam buckling of symmetrical sections in EN 1993-1-1 (EC3), its preliminary ENV-version and a Russian steel structure design code. In order to choose the nationally determined parameters in EC3, the impact of parameters on the safety level and overall design results has to be carefully studied. Modification factors, introduced in EC3, have moved the resistance for certain load distribution from ENV-based values closer to the Russian code.