Elastic Local Buckling and Width-to-Thickness Limits of I-Beams Incorporating Flange–Web Interactions

The local buckling of I-section beams is investigated with the flange–web interactions taken into account. Using numerical results employing the finite element method and a semi-analytical method, the flange–web interactions of I-sections and their effects on the buckling stresses are explored and discussed. Simple approximate solutions for the buckling coefficients of the web and compressive flange are developed using the energy method, and they are refined using the numerical results. Using the simple solutions for buckling coefficients, the limits for the width-to-thickness ratio of the compressive flange and web of I-section beams are then proposed. Comparisons with the results of existing solutions and provisions in design codes imply that the proposed solutions are superior in predicting the limits for width-to-thickness ratios, and they are capable of accounting for the flange–web interactions at the local buckling of I-section beams.

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