The Differences in the Behaviour of Composite I-Girder Bridges with Corrugated Steel Webs and Flat Steel Webs: A Comparative Study

The extensive use of steel girder components and large welding volume, as well as the poor buckling stability, have long been challenges for traditional composite I-girder bridges with flat steel webs. This paper addresses these issues by replacing the I-girder featuring flat steel webs with I-girder featuring corrugated steel webs, thereby optimising the structural form of the steel girders. Existing specifications only establish design standards for composite I-girder bridges with flat steel webs, lacking provisions for those with corrugated steel webs. This paper establishes numerical models of full-bridge structures with two different forms of webs through simulations. It compares and analyzes the mechanical performance differences between the two composite girders and conducts design parameter analysis. The results indicate that, under the conditions of consistent girder height and steel usage, the ultimate bending capacity and torsional stiffness of the composite I-girder bridges with corrugated steel webs are similar to those of the composite I-girder bridges with flat steel webs. It is worth noting that the shear stress distribution of the corrugated steel webs is more uniform, and the linear elastic stability coefficient of the former is 5.0–6.5 times that of the latter. Additionally, this paper proposes a reasonable range of structural values applicable to composite I-girder bridges with corrugated steel webs.