Numerical investigation on shear strength of tapered perfect end web panels

Abstract

Plate girders are used as an alternative in construction when hot rolled I-shaped beams show poor strength or do not meet design requirements. Under high bending moments and shear forces, it is more efficient to use tapered plate girders. Current design codes lack specific design rules to estimate shear strength of plate girders with tapered web. The aim of this research is to investigate the elastic buckling and ultimate shear strengths of tapered end web panels in plate girders. More than two hundred detailed finite element models of plate girders with tapered end web panels are constructed and analyzed to cover a wide range of geometric parameters including: aspect ratio of end web panel, depth–to-thickness ratio of end web plate, inertia of intermediate stiffeners, and angle of tapering. Upon validation of the numerical solution, numerical results are used to establish a mathematical expression for the ultimate shear strength of prismatic and tapered end web panels. Design requirements of intermediate stiffeners are also proposed to achieve >95% of shear strength of web when stiffened with infinitely rigid stiffeners.