Calculation method for flexural capacity of composite girders with corrugated steel webs

Experimental and numerical simulation studies were conducted to investigate the differences in bending performance between steel I-girder composite girders with corrugated steel webs (CSWs) and traditional steel I-girder composite girders with flat steel webs (FSWs). The flexural capacity calculation method specified in Eurocode 4 is applied to steel I-girder composite girders with FSWs. However, using the method of steel I-girder composite girders with CSWs revealed an error of approximately 25% between the calculated results and the experimental results. This paper employed the continuous strength method to conduct an elastic–plastic analysis of steel I-girder composite girders with CSWs, considering both the bending contribution of CSWs and the strengthening effect of the steel girder. A calculation method for the flexural capacity suitable for composite girders with CSWs was also introduced. Remarkably, the research outcomes indicated that under ultimate loads, the webs of the steel I-girder composite girder with FSWs underwent buckling deformation. In contrast, the webs of the steel I-girder composite girder with CSWs remained intact, showcasing excellent buckling stability. Compared to the calculation results of the formula specified in Eurocode 4, the accuracy of the proposed calculation method in this paper is improved by 17%. This method can effectively predict the flexural capacity of composite girders with CSWs and is suitable for practical engineering applications. •I-beams with corrugated steel webs have similar load-carrying capacity and better stability to flat web beams.•The flexural contribution of the corrugated steel web reaches 13%, which cannot be ignored.•The existing code calculation formulas are not applicable to composite beams with corrugated steel webs.•Considering corrugated steel web and steel strengthening effect can improve calculation accuracy.