Strength of Curved I-Girder Web Panels under Pure Shear

The bifurcation buckling and the ultimate strength of curved web panels subjected to pure shear are investigated by the finite-element method. To evaluate the ultimate strength of curved web panels subjected to pure shear to the point of failure, both geometric and material nonlinearities are considered. From the nonlinear analysis it is shown that curved web panels are capable of developing considerable postbuckling strength after the bifurcation point. Results of the present study are compared with those calculated using equations that were recently suggested for the prediction of the shear strength of straight girder web panels subjected to pure shear. Comparisons indicate that the straight girder equations can effectively predict the shear strength of curved web panels subjected to pure shear.