164

Behaviour of composite castellated

beams
RG Redwood
McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Summary
The effect of composite action on the behaviour of
composite castellated beams is described by
comparison with that of non-composite beams. It is
demonstrated that enhancement of both flexural
and shearing resistances can be expected, but that
the improved shearing resistance can only be

realised if certain conditions are met. The role of

partial shear connection is stressed, and the need
for further information concerning the prediction of
web buckling in composite castellated beams is
identified.

Prog. Struct. Engng Mater. 2000; 2:164d168

Background
It is nearly 60 years since castellated beams (see
Fig. 1a) were first patented[1], and they still find
widespread use in non-composite construction for
long lightly loaded spans. Their economy, the use of
openings for the passage of ductwork and their
aesthetic attributes contribute to their popularity. The
so-called cellular beams, incorporating circular holes
(see Fig. 1b) were used in Switzerland in the 1970s[2]
and are currently in widespread use in Europe[3]; some
aspects of the structural behaviour of cellular beams
are analogous to that of castellated beams. Both types
of beam have been used in composite construction. An
early use of composite castellated beams is described
in ref.[4], albeit requiring considerable amounts of web
reinforcement in the outer regions of the spans. Design
guidelines for cellular beams are available[3].
It is the purpose of this article to outline the impact
of composite construction on the behaviour of
castellated beams, thus clarifying those aspects of
behaviour which benefit most from composite action,
and to identify sources useful in design.

Castellated beams: non-composite

Reviews of non-composite castellated beam behaviour
are available in refs[5, 6]. Failure modes influenced by
the special geometry of castellated beams have been

identified as the following[5]:

(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)

Flexural hinge failure

Overall lateraltorsional buckling
Vierendeel mechanism
Web-post: Shear yield/weld fracture
Lateraltorsional buckling
Compression buckling.

Each of these modes of failure is described and

methods of analysis and supporting experimental
evidence are outlined in ref.[5]. Under flexural loading
the resistance can be based on the plastic modulus of
the net section through the opening, and the
lateraltorsional buckling strength can be based on
design provisions for solid web beams, provided the
relevant properties are again based on the net
section[7]. When shear is present limiting behaviour
will be related to high stresses near the upper and
lower corners of a single opening: the resistance can be
related to maximum stresses[1, 8, 9] or to the
development of a four hinge plastic mechanism
(Vierendeel mechanism)[1, 915]. When the shear is zero,
these analyses reduced to the special case of the
flexural mode (i).
Modes (iv), (v) and (vi) are principally related to the
web-post geometry. Yield in shear on the smallest
section of the post can be considered the limit state for
mode (iv). Lateraltorsional buckling of the post has
been treated by use of column analogies[8, 16], beam
analogies[17, 18] and finite element analysis[19, 20], and

Terminology

M "bending moment
M "plastic moment of the unperforated steel section

n "number of shear connectors between high moment end of hole and nearest
point of zero moment

Copyright ^ 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

T
V
V

V


"tensile force in bottom chord of castellated beam

"shearing force
"horizontal shearing force in web-post
"plastic shearing capacity of the unperforated web of the steel section

Prog. Struct. Engng Mater. 2000; 2:164d168

BEHAVIOUR OF COMPOSITE CASTELLATED BEAMS

Fig. 1 Castellated and cellular beams

web-post resistance under vertical compression can be

based on the behaviour of an equivalent column[21].

Influence of composite action

EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS
A limited amount of test information concerning the
behaviour of composite castellated beams is available.
Early tests to destruction of six beams with nonsymmetric castellations and spiral shear connectors
are reported in ref.[22]. Three beams exhibited webpost buckling and the others were stronger than the
support arrangements. Tests of two beams comprising
hybrid steel sections (a higher strength steel for the
lower part of the beams) and solid slabs with a high
degree of shear connection demonstrated both flexural
and shearing failures[23]. One beam failed at a flexure
hinge and the other, which, with the same web
properties as the first beam, had a cover-plated bottom
flange and thicker slab, failed by yielding of web-posts
near the ends.
Tests of six composite castellated beams with solid
slabs subjected to two-point loading and treating
several different lengths have been reported[24].
Web-post buckling was observed in all tests. These
beams were modelled numerically with initial
imperfections provided by eccentricity of load. While
the observed deformation modes were correctly
predicted, difficulties with modelling residual
stresses, material properties and the steelconcrete
interface were thought to explain why ultimate loads
were overestimated. Tests were also conducted on
beams with only the lower half of the castellation used;
a flange was provided which bridged the opening at
its widest point, and shear connection to the steel sheet
(Bondek) supported slab was attached to this
flange[25]. Failure involved longitudinal and transverse
slab cracking near the beam ends followed by buckling
of the web-post nearest the supports. Finite element
studies modelled the behaviour well. This
configuration requires the slab to participate
significantly in carrying shear.
Tests of five composite castellated beams with
transverse ribbed deck supported slabs also explored
both flexural and shear modes of failure[26]; the effects
Copyright ^ 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

165

of partial shear connection and a direct comparison

with a corresponding non-composite castellated beam
test were included. Flexural resistance was controlled
by the limited degree of shear connection (54%), and
corresponded to mode (i) of those listed above, with
some evidence of mode (iii). Ultimate moments were
about 28% greater than the flexural capacity of
a corresponding non-composite section. Beams failing
in shear exhibited web-post buckling, mode (v); two of
these were identical in configuration and nominal
material properties to a non-composite castellated
beam tested earlier[19], which also showed web-post
buckling in its failure mode. Ultimate shearing forces
of the composite beams exceeded that of the noncomposite one by over 50%.
It is evident that composite action can significantly
increase both flexural and shear resistances of
castellated beams, and that the failure mode
frequently involves web buckling. In the following
section the reasons for these observations are
discussed.

FAILURE MODES OF COMPOSITE CASTELLATED BEAMS

Vierendeel mechanism
This mode is associated with a single opening and
therefore any one of several available methods of
analysis for this case may be used[2729]. These methods
deal with rectangular holes, and the hexagonal holes
of castellated beams may be treated as rectangular
holes with length equal to the length of the top and
bottom horizontal edges, and height equal to the full
hole height. Fig. 2 shows interaction diagrams, based
on ref.[29], representing mechanism failure modes
under loads M and V at a hole centreline. The diagram
is constructed by joining the point 0 on the ordinate,
to the point 1 by a parabola, and from point 1
drawing a line perpendicular to the abcissa. For zero
shear, the ordinate represents a pure bending hinge at
the net section. In the event of partial shear connection,
this pure bending value will be controlled by the
number of shear connectors, thus giving a lower pure
bending resistance. The coordinates of point 1 are
also affected by the number and location of shear
connectors. The change is significant only when the
number of connectors is small, but this will normally
be the case near the end, where shearing forces are
important[30]. Thus, interaction diagrams are
constructed in the same way for both full and partial
degrees of shear connection if the appropriate
coordinate values are used.
Fig. 2 shows diagrams representing the different
numbers of shear connectors for the beam illustrated.
Nine studs represent 100% shear connection, but the
beam is provided only with 5 in each half span. Thus,
holes 8 and 9 nearest the centre have 5 studs provided
between their high-moment ends and the nearest
point of zero moment; the next holes have only 4 and
therefore different interaction diagrams apply.
Prog. Struct. Engng Mater. 2000; 2:164d168

166

COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION

Fig. 3 Horizontal shearing force in web-post

Fig. 2 Momentdshear interaction diagramsewide web-posts

Radial lines shown in Fig. 2 represent the momentto-shear ratio at each hole, assuming a uniformly
distributed load on the span. The intersection of these
with the appropriate interaction diagram gives the
values of the moment and shear which will cause
failure at each hole. To determine which hole is
critical, a parabola representing the loading is also
plotted as a broken line; this would move outward
from the origin with increase in unit load. It can be
seen that for this beam the first failure point that
would be reached by such an increasing load is that of
hole 7. The difference between the innermost curve of
Fig. 2, representing non-composite behaviour, and the
outermost one based on full shear connection indicates
the very significant increase in resistance that is
theoretically possible at all moment-to-shear ratios
using composite construction. However, the reduction
in degree of shear connection between slab and steel
beam as the end of the beam is approached limits the
available enhancement of the shear resistance.
Evidently, provision of as many shear connectors as
possible between the end and the first hole will
maximise the gain in capacity.
The data of Fig. 2 are for a beam with moderately
wide web-posts. For narrower posts the web-post
strength may further limit the shear resistance, while
the correspondingly shorter hole leads to greater
mechanism strength.

Web-post yielding
Under small moment-to-shear ratios a yielding failure
mode of a narrow web-post may occur prior to
development of a mechanism mode. Fig. 3 shows the
forces acting on a short length of beam between
adjacent hole centres. The horizontal shearing force in
Copyright ^ 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fig. 4 Momentdshear interaction diagramsenarrow web-posts

the post, V , is equal to the difference in the tensions in


the bottom chords, and these are related to the crosssection properties. Thus, for a given vertical shear
force on the beam, the horizontal shear is clearly less in
a composite beam than in a corresponding noncomposite section. Furthermore, the magnitude of
V will depend on the effectiveness of the slab, that is,

on the degree of shear connection at the hole
considered.
Assuming full shear connection, elastic material
(low moments will exist near the beam end) and linear
strain variation, the value of V is readily obtained for

a given moment gradient. Equating V to the shear

yield capacity of the minimum section of the web-post
gives the beam (vertical) shear to cause this yield. This
is an upper limit on the shear resistance and provides
a cut-off on the mechanism interaction diagram as
shown in Fig. 4. In the case of partial shear connection,
if the slab stiffness is reduced in proportion to the
degree of shear connection, the vertical shear causing
yield is slightly lower. This only occurs when there are
fewer than three connectors for the example of Fig. 4.
Prog. Struct. Engng Mater. 2000; 2:164d168

BEHAVIOUR OF COMPOSITE CASTELLATED BEAMS

When the web-post limits the shear strength in
this way, it can be seen from Fig. 4 that composite
action can provide only limited gain in shear
resistance.

Web-post buckling
Web buckling is a possibility in some thin webbed
sections currently used as non-composite castellated
beams[20], whereas it has been observed that standard
sections used in the UK 20 years ago would probably
reach their web or Vierendeel yield mechanisms prior
to buckling[17]. Since the resistance of flexural and
Vierendeel mechanisms increases with composite
action, there is an increased likelihood of buckling in
composite castellated sections. Indeed, significant
transverse displacements of the webs have been
observed in many of the reported composite beam
tests.
The growth of web displacements over the full
range of loading has been studied numerically for
some test beams[24, 25]. This has also been done for
non-composite cellular beams, and resulting
parameter studies are used in design[3]. For composite
castellated beams the mixed success of such analyses,
due to modelling uncertainties, does not currently
provide a reliable basis for design. Others have
attempted to reduce the problem by treating it as one
of bifurcation[26]. Comparing a composite with a noncomposite beam using the same section, it has been
shown[26] that the horizontal web-post shear at
bifurcation is quite similar in magnitude in the two
cases. This indicates, for the sections considered, that
the top flange restraint provided by the slab, and any
change in the degree of double curvature bending in
the post, are small enough that the buckling load in the
post is not significantly affected. This was supported
by experimental observation. If this result can be
shown to be generally true, then buckling analyses for
non-composite castellated beams could play a role in
composite beam design. Non-composite web-post
buckling loads have been examined in ref.[20], and
results for a limited range of configurations are
available. The estimation of the web-post shear for
a given beam shear on a composite beam, as discussed
above, would then provide the beam shear buckling
capacity. A relationship providing a transition from
elastic buckling to yielding would also be needed.

167

Conclusions
It has been shown that both flexural and shearing
capacities of composite castellated beams can, in many
cases, be significantly higher than for the
corresponding non-composite castellated beam. The
improved pure flexural resistance due to composite
action is readily understood and can be accounted for
using standard approaches for composite beams. It
should be noted, however that the degree of shear
connection must necessarily decrease with distance
from the point of maximum moment. Thus, as in the
example illustrated in Fig. 2, the combination of
a small shearing force and the reduced shear
connection, may create critical conditions at an
opening other than that subjected to the maximum
moment.
Castellated beams will often be shear critical. Insofar
as composite action will improve the Vierendeel
mechanism resistance, the increased beam shear
resistance can be reliably predicted. However, unless
the improved web-post capacity is also taken into
account (and it is frequently neglected) web yield or
buckling may limit the benefits available from
composite construction.
The factors affecting web-post buckling have been
described, and a possible treatment which makes use
of non-composite castellated web-buckling analysis is
outlined. Further development of this approach is
needed.

References and recommended reading

* Special interest
** Exceptional interest
[1] Knowles PR. Castellated beams. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil
Engineers, Part 1 1991: 90: 521d536.
[2] Schweizerische Zentralstelle fur Stahlbau. Bauen in Stahl. Zurich.
1974: Nos. 1d8; 1975: Nos. 16d18; 1976: No. 23; 1977: No. 31; 1978: Nos. 32d33.
* [3] Ward JK. Design of composite and non-composite cellular beams. SCI
Publication 100. The Steel Construction Institute 1990.
[4] Johnson HI & Dooley CT. Open-web beams for a Seattle office building.
Civil Engineering (ASCE) 1960: 30(3): 168d171.
* [5] Kerdal D & Nethercot DA. Failure modes for castellated beams. Journal
of Constructional Steel Research 1984: 4: 295d315.
Categorizes the failure modes of non-composite beams, and describes
methods of analysis and supporting test data for each.
* [6] Dougherty BK. Castellated beams: a state of the art report. Journal of the
South African Institution Civil Engineers 1993: 35(2): 12d20.
Provides a detailed discussion of the behaviour of non-composite
castellated beams and a comprehensive bibliography.

Other failure modes

Of the other failure modes listed above for noncomposite castellated beams, mode (ii), overall
lateraltorsional buckling, is not relevant for
composite beams, except during construction. Mode
(iv), compression buckling of the web-post will likely
be less severe in a composite beam due to spread of
a concentrated load through the slab, and treatment as
a non-composite case should be conservative.
Copyright ^ 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[7] Nethercot DA & Kerdal D. Lateraldtorsional buckling of castellated

beams. The Structural Engineer 1982: 60B(3): 53d61.
[8] Blodgett OW. Design of welded structures. Cleveland, OH: The James
F Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation. 1966.
[9] Kanning W & BarbreH R. WabentraK ger (Castellated beams). Merkblatt
Stahl 361. Die Beratungsstelle fuK r Stahlverwendung, DuK sseldorf. 1976.
[10] Witteveen J & Stark JWB. De Berekening van Raatliggers met de
Plasticiteitsleer. Report No. BI-71-80. Institute TNO for Building Materials and
Building Structures. 1971.
[11] Stark JW. Plastic analysis of castellated beams. Report No. BI-82-21.
Institute TNO for Building Materials and Building Structures. 1982.

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COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION

[12] Redwood RG. Design of I-beams with web perforations. In: Narayanan
R (ed) Beams and Beam-Columns: Stability and Strength (Ch 4). London: Applied
Science Publishers. 1983. 95d134.
[13] Redwood RG. The strength of steel beams with unreinforced web holes.
Civil Engineering and Public Works Review 1969: 64: 559d562.
[14] Sherbourne AN & Van Oostrom J. Plastic analysis of castellated
beams e I: interaction of moment, shear and axial force. Computers and Structures
1972: 2: 79d109.
[15] Van Oostrom J & Sherbourne AN. Plastic analysis of castellated
beams e II: analysis and tests. Computers and Structures 1972: 2: 111d140.
[16] Delesques R. StabiliteH des montants de poutres ajoureH es. Construction
MeH tallique, Paris 1968: 3: 26d33.
[17] Aglan AA & Redwood RG. Web buckling in castellated beams.
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Part 2 1974: 57: 304d320.
[18] Dougherty BK. Buckling of web posts in perforated beams. Journal of the
Structural Division. Proceedings of ASCE 1981: 107(ST3): 507d518.
[19] Zaarour W & Redwood RG. Web buckling in thin webbed castellated
beams. Journal of Structural Engineering (ASCE) 1996: 122(8): 860d866.
[20] Redwood R & Demirdjian S. Castellated beam web buckling in shear.
Journal of Structural Engineering (ASCE) 1998: 124 (in press).
[21] Okubo T & Nethercot DA. Web-post strength in castellated steel
beams. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Part 2 1985: 79: 533d557.
[22] Larnach WJ & Park R. The behaviour under load of six castellated
composite T-beams. Civil Engineering and Public Works Review 1964: 339d343.
[23] Giriyappa J. Behaviour of composite castellated hybrid beams.

MS Dissertation, The University of Missouri, Columbia. 1966.

[24] Hartono W & Chiew SP. Composite behaviour of castellated beams
with concrete top slab. Proceedings of the Fourth Pacific Structural Steel Conference
1995: 3: 69d76.
[25] Hartono W & Chiew SP. Composite behaviour of half castellated beam
with concrete top slab. Proceedings: International Conference on Advances in Steel
Structures. Vol. 1. New York: Pergamon. 437d442.
** [26] Megharief J & Redwood R. Behaviour of composite castellated beams.
Journal of Constructional Steel Research 1998: 46(1d3): 199d200, Paper No. 60. See
CD-ROM, Proceedings: Second World Congress on Steel in Construction.
Discusses the impact of composite action on castellated beams and
describes observed test behaviour.
* [27] Lawson RM. Design for openings in the webs of composite beams. Joint
Report of the Construction Industry Research and Information Association and The
Steel Construction Institute, CIRIA Special Publication 51; SCI Publication 068. 1987.
This, and refs [28, 29], provide alternative ways of analysing the Vierendeel
mechanism mode of failure for composite castellated beams.
* [28] Darwin D. Steel and composite beams with web openings, Steel Design
Guide Series No. 2. American Institute of Steel Construction 1990.
* [29] Redwood RG & Cho SH. Design of steel and composite beams with web
openings. Journal of Constructional Steel Research 1993: 25(1): 23d42.
[30] Redwood RG & Poumbouras G. Analysis of composite bems with web
openings. Journal of Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers 1984:
110(9): 1949d1958.

RG Redwood
Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics,
McGill University, Montreal, Canada H3A 2K6

Copyright ^ 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prog. Struct. Engng Mater. 2000; 2:164d168