• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.5 no.2_3
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• pp.203-233
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• 2005

This paper presents the findings of a design development project for perforated beams fully integrated with building services. A unified design approach for both steel and composite beams with large rectangular web openings is proposed which is based on plastic design methods and formulated in accordance with analytical structural design principles. Moreover, finite element models are established after careful calibration against test data, and comparison on the predicted ultimate loads of two composite beams with rectangular web openings from the finite element models and the proposed design method is also presented. It is demonstrated that the proposed design method is able to predict the ultimate loads of composite beams with rectangular web openings against 'Vierendeel' mechanism satisfactorily.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.5 no.2_3
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• pp.193-202
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• 2005

This paper describes recent developments in composite construction and their effect on codified design procedures in the UK. Areas of particular interest include: rules on shear connection, design of beams with web openings, serviceability limits, such as floor vibrations, and fire safe design. The design of cellular beams with regular circular openings now includes generalized rules for web-post buckling, and for the development of in-plane moment in the web-post for asymmetric sections. Closed solutions for the maximum shear force due to limits on web-post bending or buckling are presented. The fire resistance of cellular beams is also dependent on the temperature of the web-post, and for closely spaced openings. It is necessary to increase the thickness of fire protection to the web. For serviceability design of beams, deflection limits and natural frequency and response factor for vibration are presented. It may be necessary to use stricter limits for certain applications.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.47-55
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• 2022

In this study, we focus on the feasibility of structural topology optimization for a steel-timber composite beam design of optimally allocating glue-laminated timbers into a web with openings under the condition of given steel flanges. The motivation of this study is to topologically take maximal stiffness harmonizing both tension and compression performance of the steel-timber composite beam and become the eco-frandly timber design for buidling members. As a result of this study, the key web-openings allocation becomes triangle spaces, i.e., empty or no materials, of optimal topologies of both a pure timber plate and a steel flange-web timber plate without web-openings. Several applicable examples verify the effectiveness of topology optimization for steel-timber beams with web-openings.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.69-85
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• 2010

The present paper presents a study on the behavior and design of corrugated web steel beams with and without web openings. In the literature, the web opening problem in steel beams was dealt with mostly for steel beams with plane web plates and research on the effect of an opening on a corrugated web was found out to be very limited. The present study deals mainly with the effect of web openings on the transverse load carrying capacity of steel beams with sinusoidally corrugated webs. A general purpose finite element program (ABAQUS) was used. Simply supported corrugated web beams of 2 m length and with circular web openings at quarter span points were considered. These points are generally considered to be the optimum locations of web openings for steel beams. Various cases were analyzed including the size of the openings and the corrugation density which is a function of the magnitude and length of the sine wave. Models without web holes were also analyzed and compared with other cases which were all together examined in terms of load-deformation characteristics and ultimate web shear resistance.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-31
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• 2006

Beams with web openings are an attractive system for multi-storey buildings where it is always desirable to have long spans. The openings in the web of steel beams enable building services to be integrated within the constructional depth of a floor, thus reducing the total floor depth. At the same time, the increased beam depth can give high bending moment capacity, thus allowing long spans. However, almost all of the research studies on web openings have been concentrated on beam behaviour at ambient temperature. In this paper, a preliminary numerical analysis using ABAQUS is conducted to develop a general understanding of the effect of the presence of web opening on the behaviour of steel beams at elevated temperatures. It is concluded that the presence of web openings will have substantial influence on the failure temperatures of axially unrestrained beams and the opening size at the critical position in the beam is the most important factor. For axially restrained beams, the effect of web openings on the beam's large deflection behaviour and catenary force is smaller and it is the maximum opening size that will affect the beam's response at very high temperatures. However, it is possible that catenary action develops in beams with web openings at temperatures much lower than the failure temperatures of the same beam without axial restraint that are often used as the basis of current design.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.647-656
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• 2017

This paper presents an experimental study on the behaviour of steel beams with different types of web openings. Steel beams with web openings became progressively more accepted as a well-organized structural form in steel construction since their existence. Their complicated design and profiling method provides better flexibility in beam proportioning for strength, depth, size and location of holes. The objective of this study is to carry out the experiments on steel beams with different types of web openings and performed non-linear finite element (FE) analysis of the beams that were considered in the experimental study in order to determine their ultimate load capacity and failure modes for comparison. Ten full scale models of steel beam with web openings have been tested in the experimental investigation. The finite element method has been used to predict their entire response to increasing values of external loading until they lose their load carrying capacity. FE model of each specimen that is utilized in the experimental studies is carried out. These models are used to simulate the experimental work to verify test results and to investigate the nonlinear behaviour of failure modes such as local buckling, lateral torsional buckling, web-post buckling, shear buckling and Vierendeel bending of beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2012

Implementation of openings in beams web has been introduced as an innovative method for improving seismic performance of steel moment frames. In this paper, several steel moment frames have been studied in order to evaluate the effect of openings in beams web. The beam sections with web opening have been modeled as a simplified super-element to be used in designing frames and to determine opening configurations. Finite element models of designed frames were generated and nonlinear static pushover analysis was conducted. The efficient location for openings along the beam length was discovered and the effects of beams with web openings on local and global behavioral characteristics of frames were discussed. Base on the results, seismic performance of steel moment frames was improved by creating openings in beams web, in terms of reduction in stress level of frame sensitive areas such as beam to column connections and panel zones.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.16 no.5 s.72
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• pp.575-586
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• 2004

This paper presents an experimental study on the flexural capacity of an encased(slim-floor) composite beam, which is a wider plate under bottom flange of H-beam with web openings. Five simple full-scale bending tests were conducted on the encased(slim-floor) composite beams at varying steel beam heights (250mm and 300mm), positions of web openings, and loading conditions. The test results revealed that the web-open encased composite beam had sufficient composite action, without any additional shear connection devices, because of the inherent shear-bond effects between the steel beam and the concrete, and a stable structural performance without web-opening reinforcements.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.183-201
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• 2016

Perforated steel beams can be optimised by increased beam depth and the moment of inertia combined with a reduced web thickness, favouring the use of original I-section beams. The designers are often confronted with situations where optimisation cannot be carried out effectively, taking account of the buckling risk at web posts, moment-shear transfers and local plastic deformations on the transverse holes of the openings. The purpose of this study is to suggest solutions for reducing these failure risks of tested optimal designed beams under applying loads in a self-reacting frame. The design method for the beams is the hunting search optimisation technique, and the design constraints are implemented from BS 5950 provisions. Therefore, I have aimed to explore the strengthening effects of reinforced openings with ring stiffeners, welded vertical simple plates on the web posts and horizontal plates around the openings on the ultimate load carrying capacities of optimally designed perforated steel beams. Test results have shown that compared to lateral stiffeners, ring and vertical stiffeners significantly increase the loadcarrying capacity of perforated steel beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.325-344
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• 2015

Experimental tests on cellular beams with sinusoidal openings showed two main failure modes around the openings. They concern the formation of four plastic hinges and the local instability of the sinusoidal part of the opening. In parallel, numerical analysis of the sinusoidal part of the opening revealed the existence of an elastic rotational restraint between the intermediate web-post and the adjacent opening panel. The aim of the present study is to present an approach to quantify this rotational restraint. Through the response surface method, a mathematical model is proposed. It shows a great ability to predict the rotational restraint value as a function of the geometrical parameters of the opening. This model can be used to perform an extensive study with various geometrical configurations of beams with the aim to develop a reliable and realistic analytical model predicting the resistance of the sinusoidal openings.