Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Gerber beams introduce internal hinges in continuous beam to make them statically determinate. The final system is thus is not affected by settlements, thermal effects, etc. The Gerber system consists of a series of simply supported beams extended at their ends by cantilevers in alternate spans and linked by intermediate beams supported on the cantilever ends. The beams are often supported on columns with a square HSS cross-section and less commonly on wide flange columns. The spans of the cantilever can be optimized to ensure that the maximum negative bending moments at column location is nearly equal to the maximum positive moment at mid-span. Frequently, the top flanges of Gerber beams are connected to the top chord of open web steel joists (OWSJ) which are normally connected to a light gage steel deck. The Gerber beam system is a common construction method in Canadian warehouses and strip malls. To date, in order to reliably determine the buckling resistance of these systems, engineers have to resort to finite element analysis. Within this context, the proposed research aims at developing simplified design rules for these systems which realistically account for the lateral and torsional restraints provided by Open Web Steel Joists and various bracing methods. The proposed study involves experimental and numerical components in order to calibrate the numerical model. The calibrated model will then be used to conduct a parametric study and provide simplified design rules and recommendations for Gerber beam systems.