Local buckling of the bottom flange in steel-concrete composite beams with trapezoidal corrugated webs subjected to end restraint at high temperatures

Abstract

Steel-concrete composite beams with trapezoidal corrugated webs (SCBCW) are prone to rapid failure at high temperatures due to local instability of the bottom flange. The failure mechanism of SCBCW, which is an integral part of the holistic structure and subject to axial and rotational restraints from adjacent members at elevated temperatures, differs from conventionally simply supported steel-concrete composite beams with straight webs. To investigate the evolution of local buckling in the compressed flange of SCBCW under high temperature conditions, a composite beam model with frame restraints was developed using ABAQUS finite element software. In this model, the composite beam is connected to restraint frame columns through high-strength bolts. The changes in axial stress, bending moment, and deflection of the compressed flange of SCBCW were analyzed as temperature increased. Results indicate that at elevated temperatures, additional bending moments occur in the flange plane due to axial restraints, section temperature gradients, section negative bending moments and accordion effect caused by corrugated web on compressed bottom flange of SCBCW. This leads to a gradual increase in axial compressive stress before local buckling occurs followed by a decrease due to internal force redistribution upon onset of buckling. Studies show that initial buckling of bottom flange occurs on one side of flat section of web where axial compressive stress is relatively high while restraint effect on web is low; Subsequent local buckling of the beam then appears on opposite side adjacent flat section of web after initial buckle occure on one side. After local buckling appears on both sides of web tension bands appear on both sides where bottom flange experiences localized bucking. The setting of longitudinal stiffeners (LS) can effectively improve the local stability of the bottom flange of the composite beam, while the setting of transverse stiffeners (TS) has no significant impact.