Lateral–Torsional and Distortional Buckling of I-Shaped Welded Steel Girders
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 9
Abstract
This paper presents the experimental testing and numerical simulations of four full-scale I-shaped welded steel girders to examine their lateral–torsional buckling (LTB) and lateral–distortional buckling (LDB) behaviors and evaluate the adequacy of the associated provisions in North American steel design standards. The test specimens and setup are first presented, followed by the experimental test results used to assess the inelastic LTB and LDB behaviors. A corroborated finite-element model is then used to further evaluate the influences of web distortion on the flexural response of the girders and to assess the adequacy of the design provisions when applied to girders with web depth-to-thickness ratios close to the Class 2/3, or compact/noncompact boundary (i.e., ). The results show that LDB, in combination with inelastic LTB, influences the flexural response and resistance of welded steel girders with webs of this slenderness. Furthermore, the North American steel design provisions may overestimate the flexural moment resistance of such girders.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada and the CISC Centre for Steel Structures Education and Research (Steel Centre) at the University of Alberta. All plate material for the girders was donated by SSAB and fabrication of the girders and ancillary testing fixtures was completed by Supreme Group. These contributions are gratefully acknowledged. Finally, the authors wish to thank the reviewers for their cogent and constructive comments, which led to an improvement in the quality of the paper.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 9 • September 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 14, 2022
Accepted: Apr 3, 2023
Published online: Jun 23, 2023
Published in print: Sep 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Nov 23, 2023
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