Corrugated Steel Webs Research Articles

Reliability-based shear design of corrugated web steel beams for AISC 360 specification and CSA-S16 standard

The available literature on the shear strength of corrugated web steel beams (CWSBs) includes a wealth of methods that specify the nominal buckling capacity, but with no consideration of reliability-based design. In the framework of Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) codes, the design of steel members requires load factors to amplify the load effect and a resistance factor to scale-down the resistance based on a target reliability index. Therefore, for full integration of the shear design of CWSBs into the current design codes, resistance factors must be developed and calibrated for use within the LRFD context. This is crucial since the use of existing resistance factors that were specifically developed for welded plate girders for the design of CWSBs may lead to a level of safety that is not consistent with the philosophy of the code. Using a curated database of test results, the present paper attempts to address the lack of a reliability-based design method specific to CWSBs. Two North American design standards were selected in this study, namely, AISC 360 and CSA-S16. A series of reliability analyses are performed first to verify the consistency of reliability indices for welded plate girders designed following the two standards. Then, a probabilistic-based approach is used to calibrate the resistance factors for the shear limit state of CWSBs in accordance with the AISC 360 and CSA-S16 considering dead, live, wind, and snow loads. Finally, an iterative step-by-step procedure is then developed within the LRFD framework to aid in the design of corrugated webs to resist shear loads at ultimate. Findings of the study showed that the current AISC 360 resistance factor for welded plate girders when used for the shear design for CWSB, does not yield a safety level that is consistent with the target reliability; thus, a new factor equal to 0.85 is proposed. For CSA-S16, the current resistance factor of 0.90 for welded plate girders is found to be appropriate for corrugated web steel beams.

Experimental and Numerical Studies on Shear Buckling Behavior of Corrugated Web Steel Girders with Cutouts

Openings are essential in bridges, industrial and commercial buildings in order to provide access for ducts, cables and other services. Due to the presence of such opening in web region, the shear resistance of the web plate decreases. In this study, experimental and numerical investigations are carried out to investigate the influence of circular-shaped cutouts in corrugated web steel girders. The parametric study includes the influence of web height, web thickness and diameter of cutouts on the shear buckling behavior. Shear capacity and buckling modes are compared for girders with and without cutouts. Mainly two shear buckling modes are observed for the corrugated web steel girders with cutouts namely: global and interactive shear buckling mode. The behavior observed from the experimental and numerical studies is that the corrugated web girder with cutout does not lose its shear capacity even if the web depth is increased. Also, obtained results are compared with available theoretical models published by the previous researchers. The shear capacity of corrugated web steel girders with cutout is found to be accurate and reasonably well for design purpose in comparison with the existing models developed by the previous researchers with the current study test results which shall be recommended for design.

Reliability-based design of corrugated web steel girders in shear as per AASHTO LRFD

Despite their successful use in many bridges across several countries around the world, corrugated web steel girders (CWSGs) haven't been yet recognized formally by mainstream design codes and standards. CWSGs can be an economical alternative to conventional welded plate girders; they can achieve higher shear strengths with lesser material usage. Corrugated webs have been demonstrated to carry about half of their ultimate shear strength after buckling, which is an important reserve strength to overcome sudden collapses of bridge structures. The current design practice combines the latest research in the field with engineering judgment with no regard for reliability-based design. In light of the new developments in the field of bridge design and reliability analysis techniques, this paper revisits first the reliability of welded plate girders in shear and verifies their target reliability index and the corresponding resistance factor as per AASHTO LRFD. Then, and in an attempt to prepare the inclusion of CWSGs shear design in AASHTO LRFD, a probabilistic-based calibration procedure is applied to calibrate the resistance factor for bridges having a range of span lengths and girder spacings, with consideration of different average daily truck traffic. A series of sensitivity analyses were carried out in order to quantify the relative contribution of each design parameter to the overall reliability of CWSGs in shear. The findings of this study suggest that, for CWSGs in shear, a resistance factor of 0.95 is appropriate to ensure a reliability level that is consistently close to the target. The sensitivity analysis showed that the web thickness, web depth, and the yield strength of the web's steel material are the most influential parameters on the reliability index of CWSGs.

Experimental and numerical study on the nonlinear performance of single-box multi-cell composite box-girder with corrugated steel webs under pure torsion

Currently, an increasing number of single-box multi-cell composite box-girders with corrugated steel webs (SBMC-CBGCSWs) have been built in China and Japan. However, the torsional stiffness of SBMC-CBGCSW is dramatically decreased due to the employment of thin corrugated steel webs (CSWs). Investigations of SBMC-CBGCSW under pure torsion are relatively limited, therefore, additional research is needed to investigated to guarantee the safety of such bridges. In this paper, an experimental study on four scaled specimens subjected to pure torsion is conducted to understand the effect of the number of cells and spacing of CSWs on the full torsional response of SBMC-CBGCSW. The failure mode, cracking patterns, and buckling patterns of specimens are presented, and a new shear strain relationship between CSWs obtained from experimental results is proposed to evaluate the contribution of inner CSWs to the torsional behavior of SBMC-CBGCSW. Then, finite element analysis (FEA) models are created to compare with experimental results, such as torque-twist curves, shear strains of CSWs and shear strains of concrete slabs. Finally, a parametric study is performed to examine the effect of geometric factors, such as the ratio of width to height, ratio of width to span length, ratio of width to thickness of slab, number of cells and spacing of CSWs, on such bridges under torsion.

Experimental Study and Finite Element Analysis of Externally Prestressed RPC Box-Girder with Corrugated Steel Webs

Prestressed normal concrete (PC) box-girder with corrugated steel webs has been widely used in bridge engineering because of its favourable properties and wins general recognition of bridge practitioners, but researches on externally prestressed reactive powder concrete (RPC) box-girder with corrugated steel webs are still rare. In this paper, the experiment and ABAQUS finite element analysis considering materials nonlinearity are performed to study the mechanical properties of externally prestressed RPC box-girder with corrugated steel webs during its whole bending process. The experimental results show that compared with externally prestressed normal concrete (PC) box-girder with corrugated steel webs, the externally prestressed RPC box-girder with corrugated steel webs has higher ultimate bearing capacity, higher cracking strength, better anti-cracking performance and durability. The ABQUS finite element analysis results have good agreement with the test results and the model of this article for the analysis of the whole bending process of externally prestressed RPC box-girder with corrugated steel webs is feasible.

Natural Vibration Frequency Analysis for a PC Continuous Box-Girder Bridge with Corrugated Steel Web Based on the Dynamic Stiffness Matrix

In order to reasonably analyze the influence of shear deformation of corrugated steel web on the natural vibration frequency of PC continuous box girder bridge with corrugated steel webs, first, the element stiffness matrix of PC box girder bridge with corrugated steel webs is derived by using the energy variation principle. Second, according to the derived element stiffness matrix, the solution program for calculating thenatural frequency of multi-span uniform cross-section PC continuous box girder bridge with corrugated steel webs considering the influence of steel web shearing effect is compiled by MATLAB software. The correctness of the natural vibration frequencies calculated by the MATLA B software is verified by the measured frequency of the constructed bridge and the calculated value by ANSYS 3D FE method. Finally, the influence parameters of the bending vibration frequency of the abovementioned bridge are analyzed. The result shows that (1) The natural frequencies calculated by the proposed program are in good agreement with the measured and FE values of the built bridges. The calculation program has higher precision, the difference of the first 5-order natural frequencies is within 6.01% and 7.32%.(2) The shear defomation effect of corrugated steel webs has great influence on the natural frequency of the subject bridge, while the modification of the shear modulus of corrugated steel webs and the type of corrugated steel webs has little influence on the bending vibration frequency of the bridge, the difference of the first 5-order bending vibration frequencies is within 1.07% and 0.55%, which can be ignored.(3) The dynamic analysis of the subject bridge considering the shear deformation effect can be easily incorporated into the matrix displacement system of the common framed structure, which avoids the complexity of the establishment and solution of the ANSYS FE model, It provides a reference for the calculation and analysis of the bending vibration frequency of the bridge type.

Flexural behavior of composite box girders with corrugated steel webs and trusses

The composite box girder with corrugated steel webs (CSWs) and trusses is a bridge structure developed on the basis of traditional box girders with CSWs. In this research, experimental, numerical and analytical studies were carried out to investigate the flexural performance of simply supported composite box girders with CSWs. Two 1:5 scale models of a real bridge were fabricated and tested, including one with concrete filled steel tubes and another with hollow steel tubes. The test results show that the two specimens have good ductility and failed in a ductile manner. The concrete filled inside steel tubes reduces the deflection and increases the yield load. The cross sections of the two specimens basically satisfy the “plane section assumption”. Finite element models were also developed for the two specimens and validated based on the experimental results. Afterwards, a parametric study was carried out with the validated finite element models, which shows that the steel ratios and the structure of bottom trusses strongly influences the flexural behavior. At last, a theoretical model is developed to calculate the bending moment of composite beams at the ultimate load.

Modified rotating-angle softened truss model for composite box-girder with corrugated steel webs under pure torsion

Replacement of traditional concrete webs with corrugated steel webs will lead to a significant decrease in torsional stiffness of composite box-girder with corrugated steel webs, which needs special attention in the design of wide and curved composite box-girder with corrugated steel webs. To improve the accuracy of prediction on the entire torsional performance of composite box-girder with corrugated steel webs, a modified rotating-angle softened truss model for torsion is developed in this study. Modified rotating-angle softened truss model for torsion mainly takes into account the new three-stage average stress coefficients, the new two-stage shear strain relationship between corrugated steel web and slabs, and the torsional deformation coordination of whole cross section. To testify the accuracy of modified rotating-angle softened truss model for torsion and to better understand the performance of composite box-girder with corrugated steel webs under pure torsion, two scaled specimens are tested in this article. The torque–twist curves and shear strains calculated by modified rotating-angle softened truss model for torsion reach a good agreement with experimental results, which indicates that modified rotating-angle softened truss model for torsion can successfully predict the entire torsional performance of composite box-girder with corrugated steel webs. In addition, compared with test data obtained from previous literature, the proposed modified rotating-angle softened truss model for torsion is more capable of predicting full torsional response of composite box-girder with corrugated steel webs than other rotating-angle models, especially at cracking stage and ultimate stage.

A new approach to estimate the shear strength of curved corrugated steel webs

Innovative steel girders with corrugated webs have been recently developed utilizing advances in the fabrication and manufacturing technology. Additionally, horizontal curved web panels in curved steel girders have been incorporated into a variety of bridges and buildings. With several practical advantages and architectural-appearance requirements, the curved corrugated web panel is used. This paper presents a discussion of the buckling behaviour of horizontally curved corrugated webs under shear loading. An alternative approach to estimating the shear strength that combines local and global buckling for the curved corrugated web was presented. The presented formula includes elastic and inelastic domains for local and global buckling. The proposed approach is validated against experimental data. A thoroughly validated finite element model is used to provide additional assurance that the proposed equations are meaningful, and then additional factors affecting the behaviour of I-girders with curved corrugated webs are studied. The results show that the curvature parameter (Z) has a minor effect on the shear strength of the curved corrugated panel, whereas the corrugation angle and web thickness have a considerable effect on the behaviour of horizontally curved corrugated webs.

Experimental Investigation of Impact Concrete Slab on the Bending Behavior of Composite Bridge Girders with Sinusoidal Steel Web.

Until recently, steel plate girders with corrugated steel members were used primarily as poles and girders in the construction of industrial buildings. Currently, they are also being used in the construction of bridges. Compared to traditional steel and rolled girders, steel plate girders weigh less and are more stiff, while also having a neater appearance. In this paper, the results of an experimental study are present. The aim of the study was to determine the behavior of a bridge girder with sinusoidal web geometry when subjected to a bending moment. The study was focused on a composite steel and concrete structure with pin connections, which is currently the most common solution. Three near-real scale beams were subjected to bending tests. The study found that composite corrugated-web steel beams and non-composite corrugated-web steel beams showed similar forms of failure. A reinforced concrete slab did not prevent web stress concentration at the point of connection with the flange. Furthermore, the study indicates that corrugated steel webs in bridge girders can have a much smaller thickness (less than 8 mm) compared with the traditional solution.

Neural network-based analytical model to predict the shear strength of steel girders with a trapezoidal corrugated web

Corrugated webs are used to increase the shear stability of steel webs of beam-like members and to eliminate the need of transverse stiffeners. Previously developed formulas for predicting the shear strength of trapezoidal corrugated steel webs, along with the corresponding theory, are summarized. An artificial neural network (ANN)-based model is proposed to estimate the shear strength of steel girders with a trapezoidal corrugated web, and under a concentrated load. 210 test results from previous published research were collected into a database according to relevant test specimen parameters in order to feed the simulated ANNs. Seven (geometrical and material) parameters were identified as input variables and the ultimate shear stress at failure was considered the output variable. The proposed ANN-based analytical model yielded maximum and mean relative errors of 0.0% for the 210 points from the database. Moreover, still based on those points, it was illustrated that the ANN-based model clearly outperforms the other existing analytical models, which yield mean errors larger than 13%.

New Asynchronous-Pouring Rapid-Construction Method for Long-Span Prestressed Concrete Box Girder Bridges with Corrugated Steel Webs

AbstractBased on the traditional hanging basket cantilever construction of the prestressed concrete box girders, combined with the excellent shear capacity of the corrugated steel webs (CSWs), this...

Mechanical Performance Analysis of Prestressed Concrete Composite Box Girder Bridge with Corrugated Steel Webs under RW Cantilever Construction

As a new type of steel-concrete composite bridge, PC composite box Girder Bridge with corrugated steel webs has been rapidly developed in China in recent years. With the deepening of research, a new type of construction technology - RW cantilever construction began to be applied to the construction of such bridges. This paper first introduces the general steps of RW cantilever construction and the advantages compared with traditional cantilever construction. Then, take a continuous rigid frame bridge with corrugated steel webs under RW cantilever construction as an example, and build its finite element model. The crack resistance and compressive stress of the concrete and the shear stress of the corrugated steel web were checked to meet the requirements of the specification, and the feasibility of the construction method was verified.

Mechanical behavior evaluation of corrugated steel webs (CSWs) multi-cell PC box girders

In order to optimize the design of the girder bridge, based on the CSWs PC box girders bridge design parameter, the mechanical behavior of single-room girder boxes from the single cell to five cells under four different load combinations were analyzed by using the FEA. The mid-span displacement in the bottom flange, Von-mises shear stress in both corrugated web sides, normal warping stress and dead weight of the box girder were obtained. Calculation results have shown that multiplying cell numbers could increase the efficiency of prestressing and decrease the Von-mises shear stress in both corrugated web sides in some cases. However, with the cell numbers increasing, the normal warping stress under eccentric load and the dead weight of the girder increase dramatically. Finally, by utilizing the Simple Formula Method and Principal Component Analysis Method, the proper cell number for the box girder of the specified size is suggested.

Torsional behavior of box-girder with corrugated web and steel bottom flange

Composite beams and girders with corrugated steel webs have been achieving promising application in structure and bridge engineering around the world. Nevertheless, there still exists few research related with the behavior of box-girders with corrugated steel webs under pure torsion. To gain a deep insight of such subjects, two steel-concrete composite box girders with trapezoidally corrugated webs and steel bottom flange plate were designed and experimentally investigated. The experimental results including the failure mode, mechanical characteristics, bearing capacity, deformability, strain and stress evolution of each component were thoroughly analyzed. The prediction formulas for stiffness, crack torque and ultimate torque were then thoroughly developed. Moreover, a series of finite element models were established and verified by using experimental results. A parametric study was then conducted and compared with the corresponding prediction results. The good agreements between them confirm the validity of prediction formulas.

Dynamic and Static Load Test of PC Composite Box Girder Bridge with Corrugated Steel Web

In order to evaluate the safety of a PC composite box girder bridge with corrugated steel webs, Midas/Civil is used to analyze the bridge. Through dynamic and static load tests, the actual working state, vibration characteristics and dynamic response of the bridge under load are understood. Combined with experimental research and theoretical analysis, the comprehensive evaluation of the bearing capacity and working condition of the bridge is made, which provides reference for the design and maintenance of such bridges.

The development of composite bridges with corrugated steel webs in China

The prestressed concrete girder with corrugated steel webs is one of the most promising steel–concrete hybrid structures applied to highway and railway bridges, owing to its excellent mechanical properties and efficient material utilisation. Composite bridges with corrugated steel webs (CBCSWs) have undergone rapid development in China since 2005, resulting in remarkable technical progress in many aspects. A state-of-the-art review of CBCSWs in China is presented. Based on data collected for over 90 CBCSWs built in China during the years 2005–2018, characteristics relating to bridge span, structural type and construction methods are comprehensively analysed. Some mechanical issues regarding the design and construction of typical CBCSWs are elaborated to understand fully their structural performance and promote their development. Furthermore, a few representative CBCSWs are expounded in relation to their innovative structural design and construction techniques; their respective characteristics are highlighted. Finally, several conclusions are drawn and future research directions are predicted: the CBCSW is a competitive bridge solution when 80–200 m main spans are required; advanced materials, innovative structure types and advanced construction methods making good use of corrugated steel web are the source of its development. The experiences in this study can serve as a useful base for constructing more excellent and impressive CBCSWs.

Experimental study of shear behaviour of concrete-encased non-prismatic girder with CSWs

In a large-span continuous and rigid non-prismatic girder bridge with corrugated steel webs (CSWs), a large shear force is produced at the intermediate supports, which are usually concrete-encased to improve the shear performance of the CSWs. To study the shearing behaviour of a non-prismatic girder bridge with CSWs with concrete encasement (CSWC), experimental and analytical models were investigated. Experimental results show that concrete encasement contributes to the prevention of local buckling in CSWs; moreover, shear stress was found to be reduced by approximately 45% with the help of concrete encasement. The results also reveal that the theoretical ratios of shear force are in good agreement with the experimental results in the elastic stage and that the shear ratio of the CSWs increases rapidly with load, while that of the concrete-encased structures decreases, owing to yielding of the CSWs after cracking of the concrete encasement; the shear ratio of the CSWs then decreases with an increase in load, while that of the concrete-encased structures increases again after the CSWs yield. Finally, a reasonably thick concrete encasement that can effectively resist shear force is recommended, based on the analytical equations examined in this study.

Review of research on dynamic characteristics and seismic behavior of pc composite box-girder bridge with corrugated steel webs

The PC composite box-girder bridge with corrugated steel webs, as a new type of bridge structure, has obvious advantages in structure and distinct mechanics characteristic. So it has been widely applied in the engineering field. However, we have been lack of Research on the dynamic characteristics and seismic performance of the bridge. Based on a large number of documents, this paper expresses some research about the dynamic characteristics and seismic performance of the PC composite box-girder bridge with corrugated steel webs from four aspects: dynamic characteristics Analysis, dynamic characteristics test, influence factors of dynamic characteristics, and seismic performance analysis, and proposes that we should pay more attention to the theoretical analysis in the dynamic characteristics and monitoring of actual bridges to lay a solid foundation for the development of this new kind of bridge.

Analysis on mechanical properties of I-girder with 2000 corrugated steel webs

In order to meet the needs of the construction of larger span bridges in engineering, the large-sized corrugated steel web with 2000 corrugated steel webs were studied. The numerical model of I-girder with 2000 corrugated steel webs is established by finite element software. The effects of bending angle, web thickness and web height on deflection and shear buckling on the basis of this are studied. The research conclusions can provide reference for the design calculation and engineering use of I-girder with corrugated steel webs in the future.