Free Tool · EN 1993-1-1 §6.2.6

Shear Capacity Calculator

Calculate plastic shear resistance Vc,Rd per EN 1993-1-1 §6.2.6. Auto-computes shear area Av for rolled I/H sections and checks the shear buckling trigger hw/tw. IPE, HEA, HEB, HEM, UB, UC.

Vc,Rd Shear Av §6.2.6(3) η=1.0 / η=1.2 NA Buckling trigger IPE · HEA · HEB · HEM UB · UC S235–S460 NL / DE / BE No sign-up
Section Parameters

Enter to compute utilisation η = VEd / Vc,Rd

Results
η factor 1
fy (N/mm²) 355
hw (mm) 278.6
A_v,z (vertical) (mm²) 2,568
A_v,y (horizontal) (mm²) 3,210
Shear area Av (mm²) 2,568 mm²
V_pl,Rd = V_c,Rd (kN) 526.3 kN
✓ OK — no shear buckling check required (hw/tw = 39.2 ≤ 58.6)

Cross-section diagram — shear area Av
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Green = shear area Av (web + root radius strips). Blue = flanges excluded from Av for vertical shear.
Member check trio
§6.2.5
Beam moment capacity (EN 1993-1-1 §6.2.5)
§6.3
Column buckling (EN 1993-1-1 §6.3)
§3.5/3.6
Bolt capacity (EN 1993-1-8 §3.5/3.6)
§4.5.3
Weld sizing (EN 1993-1-8 §4.5.3)

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Frequently asked questions

How is the shear area A_v calculated for rolled I-sections? ▾
Per EN 1993-1-1 §6.2.6(3): A_v = A − 2·b·tf + (tw + 2·r)·tf where A is gross area, b is flange width, tf is flange thickness, tw is web thickness, and r is root radius. This removes the flanges from the gross area then adds back the web-flange junction strips. It must not be less than η·h·tw (where η=1.0 EN default, or 1.2 for NL/DE/BE national annexes for rolled sections). For minor-axis shear (V_y), both flanges resist: A_v,y = 2·b·tf.
What is the shear buckling trigger h_w/t_w? ▾
Per EN 1993-1-1 §6.2.6(6): if h_w / t_w > 72ε/η, shear buckling must be verified per EN 1993-1-5 §5. Here h_w = h − 2·tf is the clear web height, ε = √(235/fy), and η = 1.0 (or 1.2 for rolled sections in NL/DE/BE NA). For most hot-rolled standard sections the limit is not exceeded — IPE 600 in S355 gives h_w/t_w ≈ 47, well below 72×0.815=58.7.
What does η = 1.2 mean and which national annexes permit it? ▾
η is a factor in the shear area formula that accounts for the beneficial effect of strain hardening in the web. EN 1993-1-1 §6.2.6(3) recommends η = 1.0 as the safe default. The Dutch (NEN), German (DIN EN), and Belgian (NBN EN) national annexes allow η = 1.2 for rolled I/H sections in grades S235 to S460. Using η = 1.2 gives a slightly higher shear area (more favourable result) and raises the shear buckling trigger limit.
When does V_c,Rd differ from V_pl,Rd? ▾
V_c,Rd is the design shear resistance, which equals V_pl,Rd when shear buckling does not govern. If h_w/t_w > 72ε/η, shear buckling may reduce the resistance below V_pl,Rd — in that case EN 1993-1-5 §5 or §6 methods apply and this tool flags the section. For most standard hot-rolled sections (IPE, HEA, HEB, HEM, UB, UC) V_c,Rd = V_pl,Rd.
Does high shear affect bending capacity? ▾
Yes — per EN 1993-1-1 §6.2.8, when V_Ed > 0.5·V_pl,Rd the bending resistance Mc,Rd must be reduced by a factor (1 − ρ) where ρ = (2·VEd/Vpl,Rd − 1)². In practice this matters mainly near supports where shear and moment are both significant. The separate beam moment capacity tool at /tools/beam-moment-capacity does not apply this reduction — check interaction manually if needed.