Comparative Study of Cellular and Hexagonal Castellated Beam Under the Effect of Lateral Distortional Buckling

The report explores the structural behavior of castellated and cellular beams, with a focus on their lateral distortional buckling (LDB), stress distribution, and deflection characteristics under loading conditions. The findings emphasize the advantages of these beams, including increased load-carrying capacity, material optimization, and cost efficiency, particularly in large-span structures. It compares hexagonal and circular web openings in castellated beams, demonstrating the superior performance of hexagonal openings in terms of stress distribution and load capacity. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental validation in optimizing these beams for practical applications. The results show that cellular beams generally offer better load resistance and stress distribution than hexagonal castellated beams, but both beam types exhibit significant susceptibility to lateral distortional buckling, especially under unbraced conditions. The research also explores the fabrication process, detailing the steps for cutting, grinding, and welding the parent steel I-beams to form the castellated shapes. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of beam behavior and offers design guidelines for enhanced stability and efficiency in real-world structural applications. Based on the analysis, hexagonal castellated beams and cellular beams both have distinct advantages depending on the application, but here are the key points to determine which is better:

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