Finite Element Study on Flexural Behaviour of Wide Concrete–Cellular Steel Composite Beams

This paper aims to investigate the flexural behaviour of composite wide concrete/cellular beams using nonlinear finite element compactional package ABAQUS 6.19. An experimental date from Victoire et al. (2024) was employed to build the numerical model. Load-deflection, load-slip and the modes of failure were the main parameters that used to check the accuracy of the finite element model. Extensive parametric studies using the validated model were subsequently conducted to understand the effects of varying opening shape, opening number, and connector configuration on flexural performance. The numerical results indicate that optimizing opening shapes, numbers and connector configuration leads to a desirable balance between stiffness, strength, and ductility. Based on the numerical work conducted, it was found that circular and octagonal openings exhibited superior load-carrying capacity and ductility compared to those with rectangular or square openings, which suffered from high stress concentrations. Furthermore, shear connector configuration significantly enhanced shear transfer mechanism and reduced interface slip by up to 35%.