Lateral torsional buckling analysis of corrugated steel web girders using homogenization approach

Abstract

Corrugated web beams have become popular in recent years due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, ductility and high shear resistance without stiffeners. The developments in the automated production of corrugated steel plates have further amplified their use as structural elements in bridges and buildings. In this paper, we develop a strain energy-based homogenization scheme to convert corrugated sections into equivalent flat sheets with modified elastic properties. The thin-walled theory is implemented in a one-dimensional (1D) finite element (FE) framework along with a modified analytical expression to study the lateral torsional buckling of corrugated web girders. The homogenization-based FE modelling reduces the computational requirement of finer mesh sizes on the corrugation profile. The present thin-walled FE model is implemented to different corrugation profiles and lengths, and their responses are compared with methodologies available in the literature. The effects of the geometrical parameters and loading on the lateral torsional buckling behaviour are investigated and important observations are made for structural designs. � 2023 Elsevier Ltd