NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF CASTELLATED STEEL BEAMS WITH FOCUS ON WEB-POST BUCKLING

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical study on the behavior of castellated beams made from hot rolled I-sections, emphasizing the instability of the web-post. The analyses were performed using a finite element model, developed with ABAQUS software, validated with results of four experimental programs. The model considers the influence of residual stresses and initial imperfections and includes instability analysis and nonlinear geometric and material analysis, simulating the behavior of the beam throughout the loading, including post-buckling stage. Some series of castellated beams formed from Brazilian steel sections were modeled and evaluated varying some geometric and loading parameters. The results demonstrate important aspects of structural behavior related to different geometric patterns of castellated beams, considering the variation of the web slenderness and the presence of spacer plate. Keywords: castellated beams, numerical simulation, finite element method, web-post buckling.