Shear capacity of corrugated web steel beams strengthened with CFRP strips

Abstract

In recent years, there has been significant advancement in strengthening techniques for steel structures using carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). While numerous studies have focused on CFRP strengthening of steel beams with flat webs, similar investigations on corrugated web steel beams (CWSBs) remain limited despite their increasing application in various steel structures. This study presents numerical and analytical investigations aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of CFRP strengthening for CWSBs and developing a design procedure to predict the shear buckling capacity of strengthened CWSBs. The research employs a finite element (FE) model developed using ANSYS software, validated against previous experimental work by the same authors, which accurately reflects the overall behavior of CWSBs. A parametric study is conducted on 105 CWSBs using the validated FE model to assess the impact of various geometrical parameters, including beam web slenderness ratio, length and thickness of CFRP strips, and different CFRP strip schemes. Results demonstrate that CFRP strengthening can enhance the shear capacity of CWSBs by up to 74.50%. The study identifies the arrangement of CFRP strips on both sides of the web as the most effective parameter for controlling the efficiency of the CFRP strengthening technique. Conversely, changes in CFRP strips up to 70% of web height have minimal effect. A proposed design procedure for predicting the design shear buckling strength of CFRP-strengthened CWSBs shows good consistency with FE model results.