Bearing capacity of H-section beam wrapped with ceramsite concrete

In this study, an H-section steel beam with circular holes in a web wrapped with ceramsite concrete (SBWCC) was studied. Static load-bearing capacity tests and finite element analysis were performed on two groups of specimens with different sections. The H-section steel and wrapped ceramsite concrete were well bonded. The load-bearing capacity of the SBWCC was 10% larger than that of the pure H-section steel beam without holes in the web, except for its dead weight. The stiffness of the SBWCC was slightly larger than that of the pure H-section steel beam without holes. The wrapped ceramsite concrete avoided the elastic local instability of the steel beam flange and web. Based on the finite element model verified by experiments, the influences of hole diameter, hole spacing, and U-shaped stirrups on the flexural capacity of the specimens were analyzed. The formulas for the load-bearing capacities and short-term stiffness of the SBWCC were proposed and verified by tests and finite element analysis.

Automated summary

This study investigated an H-section steel beam with circular holes wrapped with ceramsite concrete (SBWCC). The load-bearing capacity of SBWCC was found to be 10% greater than that of pure H-section steel beam, and it exhibited slightly larger stiffness. The wrapped ceramsite concrete helped avoid elastic local instability of the steel beam flange and web, providing improved overall performance.