The Use Of Castellated Beams in Earthquake-Resistant Buildings

Abstract Earthquake-resistant structures play a crucial role in mitigating damage and loss of life during seismic events, particularly in regions with high seismic risk. Castellated steel beams have emerged as a promising structural solution due to their enhanced strength-to-weight ratio, capacity to withstand dynamic loads, and improved energy dissipation characteristics. This study investigates the seismic performance of castellated beams derived from the IWF 150.75.5.7 steel profile, modified with an opening distance (e) of 42 mm and an opening angle (θ) of 60°. The castellated section achieves a depth of 210 mm and is analyzed under fixed support conditions using both static and harmonic loading. Numerical modeling and finite element simulations were performed in SolidWorks 2023 to evaluate stress, strain, stiffness, and deflection responses. The results show that castellated beams exhibit significantly reduced deformations compared to the solid IWF profile, with maximum reductions of 67.8% under static loads and 88.0% under harmonic loads. These findings highlight the effectiveness of castellated beams in enhancing stiffness and controlling deformation, confirming their potential application in the design of earthquake-resistant structures. Future studies should extend this work through experimental validation and parametric analysis to establish practical design guidelines.