Development of Criteria for Requirement of Transverse Web Stiffeners for Cold Formed Light Gauge Steel Beam Under Flexure

Abstract

This paper presents results of a numerical parametric study on flexural load carrying capacity of cold-formed steel built up I beam with transverse rectangular web stiffeners. The study was performed on finite element models developed in ANSYS software and validated by experimental test data. The effect of transverse stiffener thickness, height of section to the thickness ratio of channel section used to make I section and steel yield strength on the flexural load carrying capacity of I beam were investigated with four point bending test. Equation for predicting the flexural load carrying capacity of coldformed steel I beam with transverse rectangular web stiffeners is developed. The results by the equation showed a good agreement with the finite element analysis results and experimental tests.