PSI - Issue 81

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 81 (2026) 439–446

© 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of DMDP 2025 organizers Keywords: Perforated steel beams; Equivalent stresses; Finite element method; Double-pitched beams; Arched beams; Reinforcement of web openings 1. Introduction Perforated steel I-beams are currently among the most efficient types of lightweight beam structures, as they are fabricated from rolled sections and require significantly less manufacturing effort compared with other lightweight structural solutions. At the same time, they provide improved strength and stiffness characteristics relative to solid-web beams of the same weight. Owing to their manufacturing technique, which involves cutting a rolled I-section along the web and subsequently welding the two halves at the protruding segments, perforated beams attain an increased overall depth (Fig. 1). This geometric modification enhances the structural parameters that govern the beam’s load -bearing capacity and stiffness. Advances in modern design and fabrication technologies allow perforated beams to span up to 40 m, making them competitive with truss systems. The structural performance of such beams can be improved through various approaches. The simplest method, commonly applied to solid-web beams as well, is to introduce an inclination, thereby forming horizontal thrust at the supports. This design measure redistributes internal forces, increases stiffness, and reduces maximum stress levels. The most widespread forms of Abstract This study presents the results of numerical modelling of the stress-strain state of steel I-beams with circular web openings, considering three structural configurations: horizontal, double-pitched and arched beams. The analysis was performed using the finite element method (FEM) in the ANSYS software environment, taking into account the actual geometry, support conditions and loading. The influence of beam inclination, the presence of stiffening elements in the form of haunches located in the eaves and apex joints, as well as the reinforcement of openings using circular stiffening rings, on the distribution of equivalent von Mises stresses was examined. The results show that the highest local stress concentrations occur around the near-support openings of horizontal beams. Introducing an inclination or adopting an arched geometry reduces maximum stresses by 34-65%, while the use of steel stiffening rings decreases the stresses to levels that do not exceed the yield strength of the steel. The findings demonstrate that arched perforated beams provide the most favorable stress performance without the need for additional reinforcement. VIII International Conference “In - service Damage of Materials: Diagnostics and Prediction“ (DMDP 2025) Assessment of the Stress-Strain State around Circular Openings in Double Pitched and Arched Perforated Beams Mykola Pidgurskyi a , Denys Bykiv a , Ivan Pidgurskyi a, *, Mykola Stashkiv a , Viktor Senchyshyn a , Oleg Pidlyzhnyi a , Andrii Kos a a Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, 56 Ruska St., Ternopil 46001, Ukraine

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +38(066) 837 27 31. E-mail address: ipidhurskyy@gmail.com

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of DMDP 2025 organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.03.076