The numerical parametric study of the stress-strain state of I-beams having versatile corrugated webs

Introduction. The numerical parametric study of the stress-strain state of I-beams, having versatile corrugated walls, was carried out in the ANSYS Mechanical APDL software package. Numerical results are obtained for displacements, equivalent stresses and stability coefficients depending on the change in the inclination angle of web corrugations for trapezoidal, wavy and triangular profiles. The obtained results can help to design and substantiate the design solutions applicable to bending elements. Materials and methods. The parametric study involved a series of numerical experiments conducted using the finite element method in the ANSYS Mechanical APDL software package. APDL parametric language was used to develop the software that was built into the software package. It allowed to perform a parametric reconstruction of the numerical model depending on varied parameters of the corrugated wall, and the reconstruction was followed by the numerical solution and post-processing of the calculation results. The calculations were made with the help of the model whose overall dimensions and material were identical to those of a standard I-beam having a solid wall exposed to a uniformly distributed transverse load. Results. The parametric study enabled the co-authors to identify the main features of the stress-strain state of the beams that had different types of corrugated walls. A parametric numerical model was compiled to determine maximum displacements, equivalent stresses and stability coefficients for various types of corrugated walls and various parameters of the corrugation angle. Isofields of equivalent stresses and buckling modes are provided for characteristic parameters and types of corrugations. The reliability of the obtained results was confirmed by the verification of the numerical model using the method of the strength of materials and corrugation inclination angle α = 0, which was the initial point of simulation for all types of corrugations. Conclusions. The results, obtained in the course of parametric studies, have identified the main features of the stress-strain state of beams having corrugated walls; they allow to substantiate their effectiveness as design solutions applied to bending elements.