Numerical analysis on lateral distortional buckling of octagonal castellated steel beams

Abstract

A numerical model is suggested to predict the behavior of alveolar beams to multiple octagonal openings up to failure taking into account material and geometric nonlinearities in calculation. This research is interested in the effect of web distortions in a lateral distortional buckling mode of the I-beams on simply supported subjected to a load concentrated in the middle of the beam. Analytical expressions obtained from previous works have been adapted to these alveolar beams in order to study the influence of thick flanges, stocky flanges, slender webs, and slender beams. The study was carried out in order to compare the numerical and analytical results in addition to the design method of the EC-3.