Numerical Investigation of the End-Post Behaviour of Cellular Beams

The end-post, the solid web region between the end of the beam and the first web opening, is treated in a similar manner to the beam’s web-post in lack of definitive design guidance. However, its behaviour may vary depending on the adjacent connection type and the beam’s end configurations. This paper explores in detail the endpost behaviour of cellular beams, focusing on its failure modes and shear resistance. Building upon the experimental work by Tsavdaridis et al. (2024), three cellular beam setups were modelled and analysed using the FE software Abaqus. The FE modelling is discussed. Various end-post configurations were examined through a comprehensive parametric study. The FE analysis results, in agreement with the experimental results, yielded significantly higher failure loads than the design estimates given by Eurocode 3 Part 1-13. The stress distribution plots revealed the high stress concentrations at the vicinity of the first opening that initiated each failure mode. The connection type and the presence of notches or infill plates proved to dictate the stress distribution, ultimately controlling the failure mode.