Elastic rotational restraint of web-post in cellular beams with sinusoidal openings

摘要

Experimental tests on cellular beams with sinusoidal openings showed two main failure modes around the openings. They concern the formation of four plastic hinges and the local instability of the sinusoidal part of the opening. In parallel, numerical analysis of the sinusoidal part of the opening revealed the existence of an elastic rotational restraint between the intermediate web-post and the adjacent opening panel. The aim of the present study is to present an approach to quantify this rotational restraint. Through the response surface method, a mathematical model is proposed. It shows a great ability to predict the rotational restraint value as a function of the geometrical parameters of the opening. This model can be used to perform an extensive study with various geometrical configurations of beams with the aim to develop a reliable and realistic analytical model predicting the resistance of the sinusoidal openings.