EVALUATION OF SHEAR WEB PLY ORIENTATION FOR WOOD I-BEAMS

Four arrangements for the web plies of a wood I-beam are evaluated to obtain the relative strength of the alternative configurations. The finite element method is utilized for the analysis to allow the idealization of orthotropic material behavior and other details of the uniformly loaded beam with two equal spans. A closed-form solution for the I-beam is developed to check the finite element solution. This formulation is based on the theory developed by Von Karmen and Seewald for the analysis of beams with a rectangular cross section. The results are also compared with the engineering theory of bending. The stress contours obtained from the finite element analysis are utilized in conjunction with an adaptation of the Henkey-Von Mises failure criterion to predict gross section failure. The results indicate that increasing the number of web plies in which the longitudinal grain axis is prependicular to the horizontal axis of the beam increases the mean relative strength of the I-beam.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  345 East 47th Street
  New York, NY  United States  10017-2398
• Authors:
  • Fawcett, R
  • Sack, R L
• Publication Date: 1977-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 635-647
• Serial:
  • Journal of the Structural Division
  • Volume: 103
  • Issue Number: ST3
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bending; Failure; Finite element method; Forecasting; I beams; Loads; Plywood; Shear strength; Shear stress
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00164042
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ASCE 12825
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 9 1977 12:00AM