Post buckling resistance reserve of corrugated girders with support stiffeners

The analysis of web-corrugated and trapezoidal profiled web girders focuses on the description of buckling resistance, possibly the ultimate resistance neglecting the post-buckling resistance reserve of girders. The problem is still the post-buckling resistance reserve and its possible application in practice. For this purpose this paper presents the analysis of tests on shear resistance of the corrugated web of SIN girders with the support stiffeners in the pre- and post-buckling zones. There are also presented values of the post-buckling resistance zone and the mutual relationships between pre- and post-buckling resistance zones. Values of these zones are related to optimization of the web-corrugated girders, which consists in enlarging the zone of pre-critical resistance and balancing between shear resistance and bending resistance. The experimental tests were performed on 20 girders with the following web depth: 500, 1000, 1250, and 1500 mm, composed of three pre-assembled units. The girders with a simply supported beam system and a simply supported beam with a single cantilever were made of pre-assembled units joined by means of high strength preloaded bolts. The numerical analysis by FEM was conducted for the models with web depth from hw = 500 to 1500 mm at the full range of web thickness 2,0; 2,5, and 3 mm. The tests showed that stiffness of the support stiffeners in the web-corrugated girders had an impact on the size of pre- and post-buckling resistance zones, which consequently reduced the zone of post-buckling resistance. Because the initiated loss of stability of the corrugated-web girders is an irreversible and rapid process, and the resulting displacements in the non-linear area are permanent, the application of the post-buckling resistance zone in practice can be troublesome. From the standpoint of the structural reliability, however, the post-buckling zone provides a yield delay, i.e. it may be regarded as a safety margin. Therefore, its most possible reduction is required.