Worldwide, many shear strength tests have been conducted on corrugated web girders and both local and global shear buckling modes have been observed. Shear capacity equations based on classical and orthotropic plate theories have also been proposed. A systematic analysis of the available data has revealed that the previously proposed equations can overestimate the shear strength of corrugated webs with relatively stocky webs by a considerable margin. To address this, a lower bound equation is proposed for design. Preliminary finite element analyses (FEA) suggest that the overestimation of shear capacity may be partially attributed to the presence of initial imperfections in the web. Because the available shear tests were conducted on relatively small-scale specimens with dimensions and material thicknesses well below what would be expected in practice, two additional full-scale corrugated web girder specimens made of grade HPS-485W steel have been tested. The shear capacity and failure mode of the girders are reported, and the post-buckling behavior is also described. The effect of initial imperfections is assessed and the proposed shear design equation is re-evaluated based on the test results.
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