ANSYS STRUCTURAL: I-Beam Static Simulation

In this project, we performed a structural simulation of an I-Beam in ANSYS Static Structural.

What are I-Beams?

Beams are structural elements that sustain transverse loads which mainly due to bending phenomena. They are widely used in buildings, bridges, and other structures. I-beams are one of the most popular beam types. They are constructed of I-shaped cross sections and have a high strength-to-weight ratio.

Geometry Definition:

We modeled the geometry of the computational domain with Design Modeler software. The computational domain corresponds to a horizontal long beam with an I-section (It is called an I-beam).

Mesh:

We meshed the computational domain to create a discretized domain. As the beam construction is uniform and symmetrical, a structured grid was created, so that about 31,800 elements were generated.

ANSYS Static Structural:

There are different solvers and software available for users for structural modeling. For the present simulation, we utilize the ANSYS Static Structural Solver. The overall procedure and main steps required for static structural simulations include the definition of materials, connections, different types of boundary conditions, and post-processing.

How to define boundary conditions?

First, we defined a pressure load boundary condition on the top face of the horizontal beam. This continuous pressure load is applied vertically downward to the beam body. This pressure load was defined as not constant, meaning it first gradually increased to a maximum value (5 MPa) and then gradually decreased to zero. It represents a short-term loading-unloading cycle. Next, we defined a fixed support boundary condition on the first face of the beam. This constrained the horizontal beam from one face, so that no degrees of freedom are possible for movement.

What is the purpose of this simulation?

This investigation aims to evaluate the structural response of the I-beam under loading and study the solid behavior with analysis of distributions of the total deformation and von Mises stress.

Results and discussions:

The total deformation distribution over time (from loading to unloading) indicates that maximum deflection occurs at the free end of the beam, while the first end is fixed. The stress distribution indicates that the maximum value appears near the fixed support, where the moment is highest.