Omission of intermediate stiffeners in box link beams using trapezoidal corrugated webs. (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fanaie, Nader; Pesaran Behbahani, Danial; Ebrahimi, Samira
• Is Part Of: Structures. Volume 47(2023)
• Page Start: 1050
• Page End: 1071
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: Box link beam -- Intermediate stiffeners -- Corrugated web plates -- Web shear buckling -- Finite element modeling; Structural engineering -- Periodicals; 624.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.istruc.2022.11.085
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-0124

Abstract

Abstract: In box link beams, intermediate stiffeners are often used to delay local shear bucklings, but welding operations in order to connect the intermediate stiffeners to the web of box link beams lead to increased construction costs, reduced execution speed, creating residual stresses and geometric imperfections, and weakening of materials at the junction of stiffeners to the web. The present study investigated corrugating webs of box link beams as an alternative to flat webs with intermediate stiffeners using Abaqus finite element software. First, equations were presented to determine the slenderness ratio and critical inelastic buckling stress of trapezoidal corrugated plates used as the web of box link beams. A comparison between box link beams with corrugated webs and box link beams with flat webs and intermediate stiffeners showed that box link beams with corrugated webs experienced more buckling stability, ductility, and energy dissipation due to the intrinsic geometrical characteristics of this type of web plate. The results of this study revealed that the use of trapezoidal corrugated webs in box link beams, if the geometric parameters of the corrugated webs are appropriately selected, can increase the maximum permissible compactness ratio of the web up to about 12% and 200% more compared to box link beams with flat webs and with or without intermediate stiffeners, respectively; Also, the energy dissipation of the box link specimens can be increased by about 20%.