Shear behaviour of intermittent profiled web girder using finite element method

Abstract

The finite element (FEM) is a numerical solution technique applicable to broad range of engineering and physics problem. This FEM addresses the difficulty by dividing the region into small sub-region and used as a basic calculation. Therefore, this study was carried out using one of the software of finite element method, LUSAS version 14.1. Plate girder with intermittent profiled webs, conventional unstiffened and stiffened web girder were developed using a non linear finite element method. The studies are using thin shell elements and elastic perfectly plastic is assumed. This study was concentrated to identifying the behaviour of intermittent profiled web girders when varying thickness of flange (3 mm, 6 mm and 10 mm) under the action of a shear load. Besides that, this study also were compare the performance of profiled web girder with that conventional under shear load. For studying the load-deflection curves for these girders, found that the use of intermittent profiled web is a possible way of achieving the diagonal tension field within the web sub-panels is anchored at the junctions between the ribs or stiffeners and the flanges and also able to carry shear load beyond the critical shear strength of the web panels and develop the post-buckling strength as same as conventional flat plate girder. The failure of intermittent profiled web girder is characterised by longer yield plateau and a sloping descending branch, a failure mode that is commonly referred to as ductile. It seems as buckling loads for intermittent profiled web girder slightly influence by flange thickness. While for conventional web girders, the buckling behaviour is seem like influence by both of the parametric which is web depths and flange thickness. The conventional web with higher depths will be global buckles in sub-panel which can cover almost the total height. Based on the numerical results obtained, it is proved that the intermittent profiled web girder is more stiffened and economical than the conventional web girder.