Locally Corroded Stiffener Effect on Shear Buckling Behaviors of Web Panel in the Plate Girder

Abstract

The shear buckling failure and strength of a web panel stiffened by stiffeners with corrosion damage were examined according to the degree of corrosion of the stiffeners, using the finite element analysis method. For this purpose, a plate girder with a four-panel web girder stiffened by vertical and longitudinal stiffeners was selected, and its deformable behaviors and the principal stress distribution of the web panel at the shear buckling strength of the web were compared after their post-shear buckling behaviors, as well as their out-of-plane displacement, to evaluate the effect of the stiffener in the web panel on the shear buckling failure. Their critical shear buckling load and shear buckling strength were also examined. The FE analyses showed that their typical shear buckling failures were affected by the structural relationship between the web panel and each stiffener in the plate girder, to resist shear buckling of the web panel. Their critical shear buckling loads decreased from 82% to 59%, and their shear buckling strength decreased from 88% to 76%, due to the effect of corrosion of the stiffeners on their shear buckling behavior. Thus, especially in cases with over 40% corrosion damage of the vertical stiffener, they can have lower shear buckling strength than their design level.