• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.63-76
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• 2022

Major engineering requirements and technological developments in the steel construction industry are discussed to support a new innovative system, namely corrugated web beams, for future structural projections. These new-generation steel beams, fabricated as welded plate girders with corrugated webs, are designed to combine large spans with very low weight. In the present study, the flexural capacity of optimally designed trapezoidal and sinusoidal corrugated web beams was aimed at. For this purpose, the new metaheuristic methods, specifically hunting search and firefly algorithms, were used for the minimum weight design of both beams according to the rules of Eurocode EN 1193 15 and DASt-Ri 015. In addition, the strengthening effects of the corrugation geometry at the web posts on the load capacity of fabricated steel beams were tested in a reaction frame. The experimental tests displayed that the lateral capacity of trapezoidal web beams is more durable under flexural loads compared to sinusoidal web beams. These thin-walled beams were also simulated using a 3-D finite element model with plane strain to validate test results and describe the effectiveness of the ABAQUS software.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.6
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• pp.751-767
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• 2022

In the hogging bending moment area, continuous composite beams are subjected to the ultimate limit state of lateral-torsional buckling (LTB), which depends on web stiffness as well as concrete slab and shear connection stiffnesses. The design of the LTB and the determination of the elastic critical moment are produced approximately, using the European Standard EN 1994-1-1:2004, for continuous composite steel beams, but is applicable only for those with a plane web steel profile. Also, and from the previous researches, the elastic critical moment of the continuous composite beams with corrugated sinusoidal web steel profiles was determined. In this paper, a finite element analysis (FEA) model was developed using the ANSYS 16 software, to determine the elastic critical moments of continuous composite steel beams with various corrugated web profiles, such as trapezoidal, zigzag, and rectangular profiles, which were evaluated against numerical data of the sinusoidal one from the literature. Ultimately, the failure load of a composite steel beam with various web profiles was predicted by studying 46 models, based on FEA modeling, and a procedure for predicting the elastic critical moment of composite beams with various web steel profiles was proposed. When compared to sinusoidal web profiles, the trapezoidal, zigzag, and rectangular web profiles required an average increase in load capacity and stiffness of 7%, 17.5%, and 28%, respectively, according to the finite element analysis. Also, the rectangular web steel profile has a greater stiffness and load capacity. In contrast, the sinusoidal web has lower values for these characteristics.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.757-773
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• 2015

This work attempts to implement multiple regression analysis (MRA) for modeling and predicting the shear buckling strength of a steel beam with corrugated web. It was recognized from theoretical and experimental results that the shear buckling strength of a steel beam with corrugated web is complicated and affected by several parameters. A model that predicts the shear strength of a steel beam with corrugated web with reasonable accuracy was sought. To that end, a total of 93 experimental data points were collected from different sources. Then mathematical models for the key response parameter (shear buckling strength of a steel beam with corrugated web) were established via MRA in terms of different input geometric, loading and materials parameters. Results indicate that, with a minimal processing of data, MRA could accurately predict the shear buckling strength of a steel beam with corrugated web within a 95% confidence interval, having an $R^2$ value of 0.93 and passing the F- and t-tests.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.251-266
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• 2018

Compared to conventional flat web I-beams, the prediction of shear buckling stress of corrugated web steel beams (CWSBs) is not straightforward. But the CWSBs combined advantages of lightweight large spans with low-depth high load-bearing capacities justify dealing with such difficulties. This work investigates experimentally and analytically the shear strength of trapezoidal CWSBs. A set of large scale CWSBs are manufactured and tested to failure in shear. The results are compared with widely accepted CWSBs shear strength prediction models. Confirmed by the experimental results, the linear buckling analyses of trapezoidal corrugated webs demonstrated that the local shear buckling occurs only in the flat plane folds of the web, while the global shear buckling occurs over multiple folds of the web. New analytical prediction model accounting for the interaction between the local and global shear buckling of CWSBs is proposed. Experimental results from the current work and previous studies are compared with the proposed analytical prediction model. The predictions of the proposed model are significantly better than all other studied models. In light of the dispersion of test data, accuracy, consistency, and economical aspects of the prediction models, the authors recommend their proposed model for the design of CWSBs over the rest of the models.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.1051-1064
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• 2016

Link-to-column connections in Eccentrically Braced Frames (EBFs) have critical role in their safety and seismic performance. Accordingly, in this study, contribution of supplemental stiffeners on hysteretic behavior of the link-to-column connection is investigated. Considered stiffeners are placed on both sides and parallel to the link web between the column face and the first stiffener of the link. Hysteretic behaviors of the link beams with supplemental stiffeners are numerically investigated using a pre-validated numerical model in ANSYS. It turned out that supplemental stiffeners can change energy dissipation mechanism of intermediate links from shear-flexure to shear. Both rectangular and trapezoidal supplemental stiffeners are studied. Moreover, optimal placement of the supplemental stiffeners is also investigated. Obtained results indicate a discrepancy of less than 9% in maximum link shear of the numerical and experimental specimens. This indicates that the numerical results are in good agreement with those obtained from the test. Trapezoidal supplemental stiffeners improve rotational capacity of the link. Moreover, use of two supplemental stiffeners at both ends of the link can more effectively improve hysteretic behavior of intermediate links. Supplemental stiffeners would also alleviate the imposed demands on the connections. This latter feature is more pronounced in the case of two supplemental stiffeners at both ends of the link.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2018

In the recent decades, the application of composite materials, due to their desirable properties, has increased dramatically. In the present study, a quasi-encased trapezoidal section composite steel beam encased with concrete is thoroughly examined. Calculation of the load bearing capacity is carried out by finite element modeling of concrete and FRP beams with trapezoidal section under the effect of controlled displacement loading. The results are then validated comparing to the existing experimental results obtained from similar studies. Further on, the materials are changed to steel and concrete, and the section is de-signed in such a way that both concrete and steel reach a high percent-age of their load bearing capacity. In the last step, the parameters affecting the bending capacity and the behavior of the semi-confined composite beam are investigated. Results revealed that the beam diagonal web thickness plays the most effective role in load bearing capacity amongst other studied parameters. Furthermore, by analyzing the results on the effect of different parameters, an optimal model for primary beam section is presented, which exhibits a greater load bearing capacity compared to the initial design with the same amount of materials used for both sections.