Holes' Parameters Analysis of a Perforated Thin-Walled Lipped Beam Buckled Under a Bending Load

Abstract

This work studied the effects of holes on the buckling characteristic of an open thin-walled lipped channel beam under a bending load. A nonlinear finite element method was utilised to examine the buckling behaviour of the beam. Experimental works were carried out to verify the finite element simulation. Three factors were chosen to examine their influence on the buckling of the beam. These factors namely, the holes’ shape, perforated ratio (hole length to beam height) and spacing ratio (centre to centre distance between holes to beam height). The finite elements output was analysed by implementing the Taguchi method to distinguish the best group of three parameters collections for optimal strength of buckling. Whereas the analysis of variance technique (ANOVA) method was applied to specify the impact of each parameter on critical buckling load. Outcomes showed that the combination of parameters that gives the best buckling strength is the hole with a hexagonal shape, perforated ratio =1.7  and spacing ratio =1.3, and the holes’ shape is the most effective factor. In addition, the study demonstrated that the hole's shape factor has the greatest influence on the buckling capacity. While the perforated ratio factor is the least influential.