Shear Buckling of Plate Girders with Corrugated Web Restrained by End Stiffeners

Abstract

The study reports the investigations into the effect produced by flexural stiffness of end stiffeners on the design buckling resistance of the sine wave webs of girders. Experimental investigations were concerned with load displacement paths in sinusoidally corrugated web girders, composed of structural items and made to the full scale . The phenomena occurring in experimental investigations were represented using the Finite Element Method. In numerical models based on FEM analysis, the same failure modes of webs that were found in experimental investigations into corrugated web girders were accounted for. FEM numerical analysis was performed for girder models with webs 500, 1000, 1250 and 1500 mm in height, made of corrugated sheet metal 2, 2.5 and 3 mm in thickness. On the basis of laboratory tests and FEM analysis, a new method for estimating design shear buckling resistance for girders with semirigid and rigid end stiffeners was proposed. The method relies on the determination of interactive buckling resistance. The solution presented in this study was compared with formulas currently used for buckling resistance estimation. It was shown that the use of girder rigid end stiffeners produces in increase in shear buckling resistance up to 11%. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made with respect to the sizing of sine wave corrugated web girders with semirigid and rigid end stiffeners.

Design of Transverse Stiffeners in Plate Girders with Corrugated Web

“…In girders with corrugated web, intermediate transverse stiffeners are not used to increase shear buckling resistance of the corrugated web because sheet folds, perpendicular to chords, constitute the web stiffening. However, as shown in study [10], support stiffeners mounted at girder ends contribute to resistance increase. Additionally, they affect change in the web failure mode from global to interactive one.…”

“…Due to the above, based on investigations reported in [11], it was noted that when intermediate stiffener of the girder having the web height of h w = 500 mm was made from 10 mm thick sheet, shear mode of the web instability always occurred at the intermediate stiffener joint. Next, in the author's studies [10][11][12][13], it was observed that for intermediate stiffener with increased stiffness taking the form of end plate connection of the girder pre-assembled units, the zone of the web shear instability shifted from the intermediate stiffener towards the support. Stiffness of intermediate stiffeners caused the relocation of the corrugated web failure zone.…”

Shear Buckling Resistance of Cantilever Girders With Corrugated Web

“…results in the fact that shear buckling resistance of the corrugated web of SIN girders stated in the code [1] is overestimated. In studies [13,15], it was shown that vertical stiffeners located at the ends of simply supported girders substantially contribute to an increase in shear buckling resistance of the corrugated web. The problem of instability in SIN girders with semirigid and rigid support stiffeners was discussed in study [15].…”

“…In studies [13,15], it was shown that vertical stiffeners located at the ends of simply supported girders substantially contribute to an increase in shear buckling resistance of the corrugated web. The problem of instability in SIN girders with semirigid and rigid support stiffeners was discussed in study [15]. Based on preliminary investigations, it is known that for cantilever girders under two-sided symmetrical load on cantilevers ( Fig.…”

“…The formula for estimating design shear resistance acc. [15] based on the determination of interactive buckling resistance was approximated for cantilever girders. It is presented in Chapter 6.…”