Structural Performance Change of Steel H-beam with the Application of the Total Reinforced Member Method

Abstract

This paper investigates structural performance improvement of a steel H-beam reinforced by the Total Reinforced Member (TRM) method. The TRM method is one of various methods applied to enhance the structural performance by stress induction. The applicability of the TRM method was confirmed through analytical simulation. Initially, a preliminary load to trigger prestress was determined by numerical analysis, and the structural performance changes of three different members (the typical H-beam, composite beam without prestressed made of H-beam and L-shaped steel welded at the bottom flange, and prestressed composite beam) were also calculated by numerical analysis. The three-point bending test was experimentally performed on two members, the typical H-beam and prestressed composite H-beam, to corroborate the analytical results and the feasibility of the TRM method. As a result, the study experimentally confirmed that the generated stress and maximum deflection at the lower flange of the TRM steel H-beam decreased 20.60% and 16.87%, respectively, compared to a conventional beam without reinforcement.