In this tutorial, the simulation of a honeycomb steel beam under cyclic loading is studied in Abaqus to extract the hysteresis diagram.
The Honeycomb Castellated Beam has a deeper section compared to a solid beam, which provides greater resistance to deflection. This makes it suitable for long-span applications with light to medium loads, especially in roof structures. Since the steel weight remains unchanged, the bending efficiency of the section increases. Another advantage of the castellated beam is the presence of web openings, which allow space for services to pass through.
Accurate modeling of stiffness, strength, and ductility of these connections is essential, particularly under dynamic or seismic loading.
In this tutorial, the beam is modeled as a three-dimensional shell part. The key aspect of the simulation is the material model. Abaqus recommends using kinematic or combined plasticity models, which are appropriate for cyclic loading and for extracting hysteresis diagrams. A general static step, with some modifications, is applied.
During the simulation, stress distribution is clearly visible, highlighting critical areas. The hysteresis diagram can be plotted for boundary nodes. Figures from the simulation are shown below.
