Journal of Structural and Construction Engineering

Journal of Structural and Construction Engineering

Shear failure mechanism of steel plate I-girders with a tubular compression flange

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Abbas Ghadami 1
Mohammad Payband 2
Jafar Bakhtyari 3
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran
2 M.Sc. Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran
3 Graduate M.Sc., Department of Civil Engineering, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran
10.22065/jsce.2025.491139.3587
Abstract
This study investigates the shear failure mode in steel plate I-girders with a tubular compression flange (SPTCF) using numerical simulations in ABAQUS software. To this end, a modeling technique was first developed to analyze the behavior of SPTCF, and its results were validated against available experimental and numerical data. Subsequently, a parametric study was conducted on 75 models, considering various geometric parameters, including beam length, web thickness and height, as well as flange thickness and height. The elastic buckling analysis revealed that the out-of-plane stiffness of the flange is identical in girders with flat and tubular flanges, leading to similar web deformation patterns at the onset of elastic shear buckling. However, in girders with an aspect ratio of 0.5, the elastic buckling behavior differs significantly, and the influence of tubular flange stiffness on web panel deformations is distinctly observed. Furthermore, the nonlinear analysis results indicated that in SPTCF with slender webs, the formation of tensile yielding bands in the web plate is clearly pronounced, allowing for the utilization of post-buckling strength similar to conventional I-shaped girders. However, the failure mode of these girders significantly differs from conventional plate girders, and classical models, such as the Basler model, are not applicable for their design. As the primary outcome of this research, a set of recommendations is provided for developing shear design equations for SPTCF, which can serve as a basis for the optimized design of such structures.
Keywords
Girder
Tubular flange
Failure mode
Buckling mode
Slender web
Shear failure

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 01 March 2025
  • Revise Date 03 July 2025
  • Accept Date 20 July 2025