Influence of web holes on cold-formed steel beams: Experimental and numerical analysis

This research investigates the impact of web holes on the bending behaviour of beams, presenting both experimental and numerical investigations. It also introduces a new design equation. The experimental study involved subjecting 11 beams with and without holes to a four-point bending test, considering variables such as hole dimensions, number of holes, and spacing. The moment carrying capacity and failure modes of the beams with and without holes were thoroughly examined. It was established that hole dimensions play a crucial role in both the moment carrying capacity and failure mode of the beams. The numerical study developed 106 finite element models to validate the experimental data and explore various parameters. The validation models demonstrated good agreement with the experimental results. The parametric study analyzed variables such as hole shape, size, spacing, location, and section thickness. It was found that the moment carrying capacity decreased when the hole height/web height ratio exceeded 0.67, and the web height/thickness ratio increased. The numerical study results were compared with the local buckling strength equations proposed by AISI S100, AS/NZS 4600, and the design equation in the literature. The comparison revealed the inadequacy of these approaches as hole dimensions increased. Consequently, a new design equation for local buckling strength calculations was proposed and compared with the results. The proposed equation yielded more consistent results, especially for members with larger hole sizes.