Analysis of plate girders with perforated webs

A simple finite element formulation is proposed for studying the pattern of the membrane tension bands developed in the post-critical stages, when a plate girder with web openings is subjected to predominant shear loading. A modified version of Von Mises' criterion is used to simplify the computational process. These studies validate the equilibrium solutions proposed earlier by the authors. Comparisons of predicted ultimate loads by this theoretical treatment with the corresponding experimentally observed loads show that the predictions are marginally conservative and are therefore safe.