Experimental investigation on locally pressed I-beams subjected to eccentric patch loading

A review of experimental research performed on thin walled I girders subjected to patch loading is presented in this paper. Primarily, the aim of the research was to thoroughly in vestigate the behaviour of girders subjected to eccentric patch loading, i.e. loading out of the web plane. This experiment is connected to the previous experimental–theoretical research conducted at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Montenegro, in the years of 1998 and 1999. Load was applied over the flange in increments until final girder collapse. Various web thicknesses were studied. Loading eccentricity was varied six times for each girder type. Altogether, there were 24 tests. Six of those tests were performed using strain gauges, so that some valuable information was gathered with respect to stress distribution and the formation of yielding lines over the girders. Previous experimental research showed that the collapse form of the girders under centric loading was different from the form of those loaded eccentrically. Now, it turns out that with small eccentricity, the collapse form of the girders is the same as that of those subjected to the centric loading. Web thickness proved to have considerable influence over the collapse form of the eccentrically loaded girders.