Combined Shear-and-Patch Loading of Plate Girders

Abstract

A series of tests has been conducted on 12 short-span, slender steel-plate girders to investigate the ultimate resistance of the web panels to shear loading, patch loading, and combined shear-and-patch loading. Failure of web panels subjected to shear loading occurred in a typical shear-sway mode, while failure of web panels subjected to patch loading occurred in a typical web-crippling mode. Failure of web panels subjected to combined shear-and-patch loading occurred in a combination of shear-sway and web-crippling modes. All the web panels tested exhibited reasonably stable postpeak load behavior. Theoretical predictions of ultimate shear and patch resistance, based on existing ultimate limit-state theories, show close correlation with the test data presented. Analysis of the test results for combined shear-and-patch loading indicates significant interaction between the two forms of loading. An interaction formula for this combined loading is proposed that shows satisfactory correlation with the presented test data.