Cold resistance of steel beam prestressed by wall drawing

Abstract

Introduction . The purpose of the article is a generalized analysis of existing methods for determining of structural steel elements behaviour in extreme conditions of subzero temperatures and their use to assess the cold resistance of steel beams prestressed by drawing of a thin wall. Subject of study is structural steel. Object of study is bimetallic steel beam prestressed without rods. Materials and methods . The study is based on the mechanics of deformable solid bodies, studies of the mechanical characteristics of steel and its behaviour at considerable subzero temperatures, taking into account stress concentrators and the probability of brittle cracks in the beam elements. Results . The impact strength analysis of steels C440 and C245 used in the flange plates and wall of prestressed beam was carried out. It is found that during the structure operation in the temperature range from minus 45°C to minus 55°C, cold resistance of the beam elements is ensured. It is proved that actual normal stresses in the extreme fibers of the prestressed beam web section are lower than the allowable stresses during plastic deformation of the wall material and, according to the theory of M. Huber, R. Mises and H. Hencky, the probability of brittle cracks in stress concentrators zone is low. It is found that the absence of stiffeners along the beam wall reduces plastic deformations caused by welding, reduces the number of extra elements in the structure and increases the material’s cold resistance. Conclusions . The high stability of prestressed beam wall enables designing it quite thin and increasing its cold resistance. The stressed state of the structure, reduction of its weight, thinning of wall, absence of welding stress concentrators, and reduction of the number of extra elements in the beam testify to the cold resistance of the material of the beam pre-stressed by wall drawing.