Why I-Beams are

preferred?
FE Analysis and Hand Calculation
Bibin

1
INTRODUCTION
An I-beam, also known as an H-beam, W-beam, rolled steel joist or double-T, is a
structural support material commonly used in civil engineering and construction.

I-beams get their name from their distinctive shape. They’re comprised of a long,
vertical piece of metal called a ‘web’ and shorter horizontal pieces called ‘flanges’.
These pieces fit together to create a beam whose cross section looks like the letter ‘I’.

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The web resists shear forces, while the flanges resist most of
the bending moment experienced by the beam. Beam theory
shows that the I-shaped section is a very efficient form for
carrying both bending and shear loads in the plane of the
web.

P
Web

L
Flange

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I-Beam Uses
I-beams are often used as major support trusses in buildings, helping to ensure their
structural integrity. An I-beam’s strength can reduce the need for numerous support
structures, letting builders create aesthetically-pleasing, wide-open spaces within
buildings.

I-beams are used as wing spars in airplanes.

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Advantages
 Excellent at carrying shear and bending forces in the plane of the web.
 Very efficient in terms of material usage.
 Cost effective.

Disadvantages
 Has a reduced load carrying capacity in the transverse direction.
 Inefficient in carrying torsional loads.

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FE ANALYSIS AND CALCULATIONS
In this section, cantilever beams with four different cross sections has been
analyzed to study their behaviour under point load applied at the free end.

FE Tool used: Nastran - Patran

P

Cantilever beam subjected to point load at free end

P

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 Dimensions and Other Inputs
Material is Considered as Steel
Young’s modulus, E = 210,000 N/mm2
Poison’s ratio, ν = 0.3
Density, ρ =7.85E-6 Kg/mm3
Beam Length = 1,000 mm
Applied load, P = 100,000 N

Rectangular Section I-Section Hollow Section Thin Section

100 mm B 100 mm 100 mm B
10 h
mm

H H t H t
h B
140 mm 120 mm 140 mm 10 mm 140 mm
10 mm 10 mm

H
b
10 mm
B 100 mm

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Geometry
All beams are modelled in CATIA and imported to Patran in ‘.igs’ format.

Rectangular Section I-Section

Hollow Section Thin Section

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Meshing
Type: 3D Mesh Element Type: Tet4 Element Size: 10mm

Rectangular Section I-Section

Hollow Section Thin Section

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Loads and Boundary conditions
 Nodes at one end of the beams are fully constrained.
 A point load of 100,000 N is applied at the center of the free end.

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Rectangular Section Beam
VonMises stress plot
Maximum Stress, 𝜎max = 1160 N/mm2

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Rectangular Section Beam
VonMises stress plot without load application area
Maximum Stress, 𝜎max = 315 N/mm2

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Rectangular Section Beam
Maximum Deflection plot
Maximum Deflection,δmax = 7.02 mm

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Hollow Section Beam
VonMises stress plot
Maximum Stress, 𝜎max = 1450 N/mm2

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Hollow Section Beam
VonMises stress plot without load application area
Maximum Stress, 𝜎max = 630 N/mm2

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Hollow Section Beam
Maximum Deflection plot
Maximum Deflection,δmax = 14.9 mm

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Thin Section Beam
VonMises stress plot
Maximum Stress, 𝜎max = 3100 N/mm2

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Thin Section Beam
Maximum Deflection plot
Maximum Deflection,δmax = 70.1 mm

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I-Section Beam
VonMises stress plot
Maximum Stress, 𝜎max = 1150 N/mm2

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I-Section Beam
VonMises stress plot without load application area
Maximum Stress, 𝜎max = 711 N/mm2

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I-Section Beam
Maximum Deflection plot
Maximum Deflection,δmax = 17.0 mm

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FE Analysis Results
Very high stress in the load application area is unrealistic as the whole load is applied at
a tiny point. It leads to concentrated high stress values at that particular area. Hence
peak stress at those regions has been neglected and the next high stress values are
considered for the evaluation. The results are tabulated below.

Deflection (δ) Bending stress (σ)

Section (mm) (N/mm2)

I-Section 17.0 711

Rectangular Section 7.02 315

Thin section 70.1 3100
Hollow Section 14.9 630

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Validation of FE Analysis with Hand Calculation 100 mm
10 h
Sample Calculation mm
t
Young’s modulus, E = 210,000 N/mm2 y 10 mm

Poison’s ratio, ν = 0.3

Density, ρ =7.85E-6 Kg/mm3 H
120 mm
Beam Length, L = 1,000 mm
Applied load, P = 100,000 N 10 mm
B 100 mm

Moment of Inertia, I = σ 𝐼𝑖 + 𝐴𝑖𝐷𝑖2

𝑡𝐻3 𝐵ℎ3 𝐻+ℎ 2 3
100∗103 2
= +2 + 𝐵ℎ = 10∗120 +2 + 100 ∗ 10
120+10
12 12 4 12 12 4

= 9906666.7 mm4
𝑃𝐿3 100000∗10003
Maximum deflection, δ = = = 16.02 𝑚𝑚
3𝐸𝐼 3∗210000∗9906666.7
𝐻
𝑀𝑦 𝐿∗𝑃∗( 2 +ℎ) 1000∗100000∗70
Bending stress, 𝜎 = = = = 706.59 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2
𝐼 𝐼 9906666.7
Total weight of the beam, W = ρ*Volume
= 7.85E-06 * (2*100*10 + 120*10) * 1000
= 25.12 Kg

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Hand Calculation Results
Bending stress and Maximum deflection of all the four types of beams are calculated
using the above given method and the results are tabulated below.
Weight (W) Deflection (δ) Bending stress (σ)
Section (Kg) (mm) (N/mm2)
I-Section 25.12 16.02 706.59
Rectangular Section 109.90 6.94 306.12
Thin section 10.99 69.42 3061.22
Hollow Section 34.54 13.99 616.92

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Comparison of Results

Deflection (δ) (mm) Bending stress (σ) (N/mm2)

Section Weight (W) (Kg)
FE Analysis Hand calculation % of deviation FE Analysis Hand calculation % of deviation
I-Section 25.12 17.00 16.02 5.75% 711.00 706.59 0.62%
Rectangular Section 109.90 7.02 6.94 1.12% 315.00 306.12 2.82%
Thin section 10.99 70.10 69.42 0.98% 3100.00 3061.22 1.25%
Hollow Section 34.54 14.90 13.99 6.11% 630.00 616.92 2.08%

Maximum deviation between the results is 6.11% which is acceptable due to

idealizations in the FE Analysis tool. There will be slight differences between the
scenarios in hand calculation and FE Analysis. For example, hand calculation is done in
such a way that the load is applied uniformly at the free end whereas in the FE analysis
load is applied at a tiny point.

Hence the results are validated.

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 I-Beam vs Other Beams
The graph below shows the Deflection vs Weight properties of all the four beams with
same size (carved from the same rectangular block) subjected to equal loads.
I-Section Calculations
H 120 mm
h 10 mm
B 100 mm
t 10 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 9906666.7 mm4
Deflection 16.02 mm
Weight 25.12 Kg
Bending Stress 706.59 N/mm2
Rectangular Section
H 140 mm
B 100 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 22866667 mm4
Deflection 6.94 mm
Weight 109.90 Kg
Bending Stress 306.12 N/mm2
Thin Section
H 140 mm
B 10 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 2286666.7 mm4
Deflection 69.42 mm
Weight 10.99 Kg
Bending Stress 3061.22 N/mm2
Hollow Section Calculations
t 10 mm
H 140 mm
h 120 mm
B 100 mm
b 80 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 11346667 mm4
Deflection 13.99 mm
Weight 34.54 Kg
Bending Stress 616.92 N/mm2

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From the above graph, following conclusions are made
 Rectangular Section beam has the highest weight but it also has the lowest
deflection.
 Thin section beam has a very high deflection but it has the lowest weight compared
to other beams.
 I-Beam and Rectangular hollow section beam has close properties.

Individual Comparison of I-Beam with other beams

Material properties, length and loading conditions are kept B

same for all the beams and adjustments are made only to h
the cross sectional dimensions of I-Beam to check if it can
produce lesser deflection than other beams individually y
t
with a lesser weight.
H

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 I-Beam vs Rectangular Beam
I-Section Calculations
H 160 mm
h 20 mm
B 100 mm
t 8 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 35264000 mm4
Deflection 4.50 mm
Weight 41.45 Kg
Bending Stress 283.58 N/mm2
Rectangular Section
H 140 mm
B 100 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 22866667 mm4
Deflection 6.94 mm
Weight 109.90 Kg
Bending Stress 306.12 N/mm2
Thin Section
H 140 mm
B 10 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 2286666.7 mm4
Deflection 69.42 mm
Weight 10.99 Kg
Bending Stress 3061.22 N/mm2
Hollow Section Calculations
t 10 mm
H 140 mm
h 120 mm
B 100 mm
b 80 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 11346667 mm4
Deflection 13.99 mm
Weight 34.54 Kg
Bending Stress 616.92 N/mm2

Section Weight (W) (Kg) Deflection (δ) (mm) Bending stress (σ) (N/mm2)
Applied Load = 100,000 N
I-Section 41.45 4.50 283.58
Rectangular Section 109.90 6.94 306.12

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I-Beam vs Hollow Beam
I-Section Calculations
H 160 mm
h 10 mm
B 100 mm
t 8 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 17197333 mm4
Deflection 9.23 mm
Weight 25.75 Kg
Bending Stress 523.34 N/mm2
Rectangular Section
H 140 mm
B 100 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 22866667 mm4
Deflection 6.94 mm
Weight 109.90 Kg
Bending Stress 306.12 N/mm2
Thin Section
H 140 mm
B 10 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 2286666.7 mm4
Deflection 69.42 mm
Weight 10.99 Kg
Bending Stress 3061.22 N/mm2
Hollow Section Calculations
t 10 mm
H 140 mm
h 120 mm
B 100 mm
b 80 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 11346667 mm4
Deflection 13.99 mm
Weight 34.54 Kg
Bending Stress 616.92 N/mm2

Section Weight (W) (Kg) Deflection (δ) (mm) Bending stress (σ) (N/mm2)
Applied Load = 100,000 N
I-Section 25.75 9.23 523.34
Hollow Section 34.54 13.99 616.92

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 I-Beam vs Thin section Beam
I-Section Calculations
H 100 mm
h 12 mm
B 36 mm
t 4 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 3053205.3 mm4
Deflection 51.99 mm
Weight 9.92 Kg
Bending Stress 2030.65 N/mm2
Rectangular Section
H 140 mm
B 100 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 22866667 mm4
Deflection 6.94 mm
Weight 109.90 Kg
Bending Stress 306.12 N/mm2
Thin Section
H 140 mm
B 10 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 2286666.7 mm4
Deflection 69.42 mm
Weight 10.99 Kg
Bending Stress 3061.22 N/mm2
Hollow Section Calculations
t 10 mm
H 140 mm
h 120 mm
B 100 mm
b 80 mm
Moment of Inertia, I 11346667 mm4
Deflection 13.99 mm
Weight 34.54 Kg
Bending Stress 616.92 N/mm2

Section Weight (W) (Kg) Deflection (δ) (mm) Bending stress (σ) (N/mm2)
Applied Load = 100,000 N
I-Section 9.92 51.99 2030.65
Thin section 10.99 69.42 3061.22

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Conclusion

 I-Sectioned Beams are excellent for carrying both bending and shear loads in the
plane of the web.
 I-Beams are very efficient in material usage and hence cost effective.

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