Experimental study of lateral torsional buckling behaviour of mono-symmetric corrugated web girders

Mono-symmetric girder is a recommended solution to enhance lateral torsional buckling (LTB) strength by enhancing the out-of-plane stiffness of the compression flange. This application is intensively used in industrial applications such as crane track girders. On the other hand, using steel girders with corrugated webs (CWGs) became a worldwide application because of their remarkable advantages. Thus, introducing mono-symmetric plate girders with corrugated webs (MSCWGs) combines the merits of both sections. However, the literature shows that investigations for such girders are limited, and experimental studies for such type of girders are rare. Hence, in this paper, the LTB behaviour of MSCWGs is investigated experimentally by testing four steel girders under the effect of uniform pure bending moment (PBM). The key investigated parameters are the depth of girder, the width of compression flange and the thickness of compression flange, while other parameters are kept the same. After that, a geometrically and materially nonlinear analyses with imperfection included (GMNIA) is performed using the finite element (FE) analysis software Abaqus, and the results of the simulated tests are verified with the experimental results. Then the experimental study is extended for a parametric study to deeply comprehend the LTB behaviour of MSCWGs under the effect of PBM. The performed study showed that, decreasing the compression flange dimensions, decreases the section flexural rigidity and the section out-of-plane stiffness, which results in increasing vertical and lateral displacements and decreases the section flexural capacity. Additionally, the results notify that varying compression flange width has a remarkable impact on the behaviour of MSCWGs compared with varying the compression flange thickness for the same flange area. Finally, the FE results are compared with available design models for MSCWGs based on EC3 design approach for flexural strength.