Steel Built-up Girders with Trapezoidally Corrugated Webs

The availability of high strength steels requires innovative designs, such as the use of corrugated webs, for efficient use of these steels. Economical design of steel girders normally requires thin webs; the conventional welding of stiffeners to allow the use of thin webs has two disadvantages. The first is high fabrication cost, and the second is a possible reduced life due to fatigue cracking which may initiate at the stiffeners weld. The use of corrugated plates in lieu of flat stiffened plates in the web of a girder can eliminate both disadvantages. With the advances in welding technology, automatic welding of corrugated webs can benefit from the joint tracking technology, and the web needs to be welded to the flanges only from one side. As a result, girders with corrugated webs can be very economical when compared with conventionally stiffened girders. Furthermore, the use of corrugated webs will increase the lateral stiffness of the girder, thus minimize lateral-torsional buckling bracing requirements, particularly during construction, and the use of corrugated webs in composite construction will minimize cracking of the slab.