Shear Capacity Analysis of Welded Steel I-Girders with Corrugated Webs based on First Yield

Abstract

Steel I beams or girders with sinusoidal corrugated profile webs have become popular in the recent development of the steel structural designs, since corrugated-web beams (CWBs) can provide better performance in terms of less deformation and more stability against buckling failure. It is verified in previous research that CWBs can be considered as an alternative to replace normal beams in the structural designs with their numerous favourable features. Since CWBs are being used as the main structural elements, it is apparent that some essential practical properties of this type of beams should be studied, where the prediction of the shear capacity is one of the most significant design aspects that should be accurately investigated. Calculations to the design formulas from other standards and several finite element simulations have been carried out to compare the differences in obtained results and to find an adequate approach to calculate the shear capacity of CWBs for the Australian civil engineering community. Ultimate Limit State design theory has been utilised in conjunction with AS4100 (2017) along with linear analysis in SAP2000. By comparing the results of the theoretical calculations and numerical simulations, it has been concluded that the highly formed equations presented by EN 1993-1-5 (Design of Steel Structures Part 1–5: Plated Structural Elements, Eurocode 3, Brussels, 2006), Hancock et al. (2012) could well estimate the shear capacity constraining requirements and rules in accordance with Australian standards, which can be adequately used in Australian structural design fields.