Failure mode and effects analysis

Beam (structure)

Composite number

Engineering

Statistics

Materials science

Ultimate load

Shear (geology)

Ductility (Earth science)

Creep

Deflection (physics)

Physics

Finite element method

Mathematics

Optics

Composite material

Parametric statistics

Structural engineering

Stiffness

Composite construction

Flexural strength

Engineering Structures

The shear response of ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC)-encased H-shaped steel section composite beams is simulated using a three-dimensional (3D) non-linear finite element model (FEM) in the present study. The proposed FEM's accuracy is validated against experimental data from previously tested steel and UHPFRC beams available in the literature. Numerical results agreed well with the experimental findings in terms of load–deflection response and failure mode. Before conducting the parametric analysis, the influence of the model mesh size on the ultimate load capacity, as well as the initiation and propagation of cracks along the entire length of H-shaped steel and UHPFRC beams, is considered. The mesh sensitivity analysis, which was performed using three different mesh sizes of 50, 40, and 30 mm, revealed that all mesh sizes successfully predicted the ultimate load of the analyzed beams, while the lowest one (30 mm) was the best in predicting the distribution of shear and flexural cracks along the entire length of the steel and UHPFRC beams. The parametric study investigated the encasement effect as well as the shear-span-to-depth ratio and effective length of the steel beam on the ultimate load capacity, stiffness, ductility, and failure pattern of composite beams. The gain in ultimate load of the composite beam was 448 % and 278 % with respect to the bare steel and UHPFRC beams, respectively. Furthermore, the ultimate load reduction ratios for specimens with shear span-to-depth ratios of 2.1, 2.6, 3.1, and 3.6 were 20, 32, 38, and 41 %, respectively, with respect to the shear span-to-depth ratio of 1.6.

Finite element analysis of shear performance of UHPFRC-encased steel composite beams: Parametric study