FEATURES OF GENERATING I-BEAMS OF VARIABLE HEIGHT WITH A PERFORATED WEB USING A SCRIPTING APPROACH

Abstract

Purpose – to highlight the features of script-based generation of an I-beam with a perforated web for subsequent import into the LIRA-SAPR software package, enabling the analysis of the stress-strain state of beams with various perforated web cut configurations. Methodology. The study employs a scripting approach to developing code for generating a three-dimensional beam model with a perforated web, defined by four-node plate elements. This approach encompasses the analysis of import formats compatible with LIRA-SAPR, the construction of polylines and polygonal meshes, the connection of the web to the flanges and web segments to one another, the incorporation of stiffening ribs, and the assignment of boundary conditions and loads. This significantly streamlines the creation of large sets of structurally similar yet parametrically distinct computational models. Results. A Python script has been developed that generates a model of a simply supported I-beam of variable height with a perforated web, parameterized by the following inputs: beam span, beam width, flange and web thicknesses, web height at the support, web height at mid-span, cut curve amplitude, number of cut curve periods, fillet radius at transitions between horizontal and vertical cut segments, and the horizontal projection of the inclined cut segment. Scientific novelty. Contemporary design approaches for steel I-beams with perforated webs have been applied to develop a model generation script for potentially efficient beam configurations, accounting for the influence of hole geometry, dimensions, and placement on the structural stress-strain state. Practical relevance. The script for generating variable-height I-beams with perforated webs substantially facilitates the selection of optimal beam forms and configurations, thereby enhancing the accessibility and practical viability of perforated-web I-beams in real construction projects.