Web openings (Composite beams: EC4 Eurocode)

Tekla Structural Designer
Modified: 12 Mar 2024
2024
Tekla Structural Designer

Web openings (Composite beams: EC4 Eurocode)

Note: When the regional code has been set to Eurocode, Tekla Structural Designer adopts the approach to web openings which is specific to the UK National Annex.

Guidance on size and positioning of web openings to EC3

As each web opening is added it is checked against certain geometric and proximity recommendations taken from Table 2.1 Section 2.6 of SCI Publication P355.

Note: These geometric limits should normally be observed when providing openings in the webs of beams. It should be noted that these limits relate specifically to composite beams and caution should be used in applying these limits to non-composite beams.
Parameter Limit
Circular Opening Rectangular Opening
Max. depth of opening: <= 0.8h <= 0.7h
Min. depth of Tee, >= tf +30 mm >= 0.1h
Min. depth of Top Tee: As above

As above and >= 0.1 lo

if unstiffened

Max. ratio of depth of Tees: hb/ht

hb/ht

<= 3

> = 0.5

<=2

>= 1

Max. unstiffened opening length, lo

Max. stiffened opening length, lo

-

-

-

-

<= 1.5 ho high shear*

<= 2.5 ho low shear

<= 2.5 ho high shear*

<= 4 ho low shear

Min. width of web post:

- Low shear regions

-High shear regions

>= 0.3h o

>= 0.4h o

>= 0.5 lo

>= lo

Corner radius of rectangular openings: -

ro >= 2 tw

but ro >= 15 mm

Min. width of end post, se: >= 0.5 ho

>= lo

and >= h

Min. horizontal distance to point load:

- no stiffeners

- with stiffeners

>= 0.5 h

>= 0.25 ho

>= h

>= 0.5 ho

* A high shear region is where the design shear force is greater than half the maximum value of design shear force acting on the beam.

Symbols used in the above table:

h = overall depth of steel section

ho = depth of opening [diameter for circular openings]

ht = overall depth of upper Tee [including flange]

hb = overall depth of lower Tee [including flange]

lo = (clear) length of opening [diameter for circular openings]

se = width of end post [minimum clear distance between opening and support]

tf = thickness of flange

tw = thickness of web

ro = corner radius of opening

In addition, the following fundamental geometric requirements must be satisfied.

do <= 0.8*h for circular openings

do <= 0.7*h for rectangular openings

do < 2 * (doc - tt - rt)

do < 2 * (h - doc - tb - rb)

d2 < doc - do/2 - tt- ts/2

d2 < h - tb- doc - do - ts/2

lo < 2 * Lc

lo < 2 * (L - Lc)

Ls < 2 * Lc

Ls < 2 * (L - Lc)

where

dt= the depth of the web of the upper tee section measured from the underside of the top flange

doc = the distance to the centre line of the opening from the top of the steel section

d2 = the distance from the edge of the opening to the centre line of the stiffener

ts = thickness of stiffener [constrained to be the same top and bottom]

tt = the thickness of the top flange of the steel section

tb = the thickness of the bottom flange of the steel section

rt = root radius at the top of the steel section

rb = root radius at the bottom of the steel section

Lc = the distance to the centre line of the opening from the left hand support

L = the span of the beam

Note: Dimensional checks - The program does not check that openings are positioned in the best position (between 1/5 and 1/3 length for udls and in a low shear zone for point loads). This is because for anything other than simple loading the best position becomes a question of engineering judgment or is pre-defined by the service runs.
Note: Adjustment to deflections - The calculated deflections are adjusted to allow for the web openings

Circular openings as an equivalent rectangle

Each circular opening is replaced by equivalent rectangular opening, the dimensions of this equivalent rectangle for use in all subsequent calculations are:

do'= 0.9 * opening diameter

lo = 0.45 * opening diameter

Properties of tee sections

When web openings have been added, the properties of the tee sections above and below each opening are calculated in accordance with Section 3.3.1 of SCI P355 (Ref. 8) and Appendix B of the joint CIRIA/SCI Publication P068 (Ref. 9). The bending moment resistance is calculated separately for each of the four corners of each opening.

Design at construction stage

The following calculations are performed where required for web openings:

  • Axial resistance of tee sections

  • Classification of section at opening

  • Vertical shear resistance

  • Vierendeel bending resistance

  • Web post horizontal shear resistance

  • Web post bending resistance

  • Web post buckling resistance

  • Lateral torsional buckling

  • Deflections

Design at composite stage

The following calculations are performed where required for web openings:

  • Axial resistance of concrete flange

  • Vertical shear resistance of the concrete flange

  • Global bending action - axial load resistance

  • Classification of section at opening

  • Vertical shear resistance

  • Moment transferred by local composite action

  • Vierendeel bending resistance

  • Web post horizontal shear resistance

  • Web post bending resistance

  • Web post buckling resistance

  • Deflections

Deflections

For both non-composite and composite beams without openings the deflection analysis includes the effect of shear. For composite beams this is conservative because it uses the shear area and shear modulus of the bare beam.

The deflection of a beam with web openings should* be greater than that of the same beam without openings due to two effects,

  • the reduction in the beam inertia at the positions of openings due to primary bending of the beam,

  • the local deformations at the openings due to vierendeel effects. This has two components - that due to shear deformation and that due to local bending of the upper and lower tee sections at the opening.

The primary bending deflection is established by 'discretising' the member and using a numerical integration technique based on 'Engineer's Bending Theory' - M/I = E/R = σ/y. In this way the discrete elements that incorporate all or part of an opening will contribute more to the total deflection.

The component of deflection due to the local deformations around the opening is established using a similar process to that used for cellular beams which is in turn based on the method for castellated beams given in the SCI publication, “Design of castellated beams. For use with BS 5950 and BS 449".

The method works by applying a 'unit point load' at the position where the deflection is required and using a 'virtual work technique to estimate the deflection at that position.

For each opening, the deflection due to shear deformation, δs, and that due to local bending, δbt, is calculated for the upper and lower tee sections at the opening. These are summed for all openings and added to the result at the desired position from the numerical integration of primary bending deflection.

Note that in the original source document on castellated sections, there are two additional components to the deflection. These are due to bending and shear deformation of the web post. For castellated beams and cellular beams where the openings are very close together these effects are important and can be significant. For normal beams the openings are likely to be placed a reasonable distance apart. Thus in many cases these two effects will not be significant. They are not calculated for such beams but in the event that the openings are placed close together a warning is given.

* The above technique for calculating the deflection of a beam with web openings does NOT include shear deflection due to the primary bending. Consequently, if the shear deflection component is more significant than that due to openings, it is possible that the reported deflection for a beam with web openings is less than that reported for the same beam without openings.

Precast concrete planks

The effect of web openings on composite beams with PC planks is not within the scope of SCI P401. Web openings can be modeled but are ignored in both design at construction stage and design at composite stage when a PC plank is used. Design will be carried out treating the steel beam as one with no web openings.

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