Shear capacity of plate girders with trapezoidally corrugated webs

In this paper, the shear capacity of plate girders with trapezoidally corrugated webs is numerically studied using a non-linear finite element method. Effects of large deflections are taken into account and a perfectly elastic-plastic material model obeying a von Mises yield criterion is assumed. The following geometric parameters that influence the shear capacity of such girders are investigated: (1) the overall dimension of the web panel; (2) the web thickness; (3) the corrugation depth of the web; (4) the corrugation angle; and (5) the width of the plane sub-panel of the web. More specifically, the influence of these parameters both on the ultimate shear capacity and on the remaining shear capacity in the post-buckling range, as well as on the buckling modes, are reported. Based on the numerical results, empirical formulae that were proposed earlier for the prediction of the shear capacity are examined and suggestions for an optimal design of such girders in shear are given.