Simplified method for prediction of elastic-plastic buckling strength of web-post panels in castellated steel beams

Elastic-plastic shear buckling behaviors of the web-post in a Castellated Steel Beam (CSB) with hexagonal web openings under vertical shear force were investigated further using Finite Element Model (FEM) based on a sub-model, which took the upper part of the web-post under horizontal shear force to represent the whole web-post under vertical shear force. A simplified design method for the web-post elastic-plastic shear buckling strength was proposed based on simulation results of the sub-model. Proper boundary conditions were applied to the sub-model to assure that its behaviors were identical to those of the whole web-post. The equation to calculate the thin plate elastic shear buckling strength was adopted as the basic form to build the design equation for elastic-plastic buckling strength of the sub-model. Parameters that might affect the elastic-plastic shear buckling strength of the whole web-post were studied. After obtaining the vertical shear buckling strength of a sub-model through FEM, the shear buckling coefficient k can be obtained through the back analysis. A practical calculation method for k was proposed through curving fitting the parameter study results. The elastic-plastic shear buckling strength of the web-post calculated using the proposed shear buckling coefficient k agreed well with that obtained from the FEM and test results. And it was more precise than those obtained from EC3 based on the strut model.