A numerical study on local web buckling behaviour of coped beams under combined axial and bending loads

In this paper, a numerical analysis was performed to study the local web buckling behaviour and strength of single-coped beams under combined axial and bending loads. The investigated parameters included the axial stress in the coped region, cope details and slenderness ratios of the web. The numerical model was verified through single coped beam tests in the literature, and local web buckling failure was observed for all of the models. The ultimate load of the single-coped beams was found to significantly decrease with the presence of axial compressive stress, whereas tensile stress contributed to increasing the local web buckling strength of the single-coped beams. The orientation of the buckling line in the web was found to change with varying axial stress levels. The accuracy of the existing design formulas for quantifying the local web buckling strength of single-coped beams was evaluated based on the numerical results. The results showed that the predictions for the local web buckling strength of single-coped beams under complex loading combinations of axial and bending force given by the existing design approach were quite inconsistent and in some cases very unsafe.