1.1 Scope of EN 1993-1-13
1.1.1 General
(1) This document gives supplementary provisions that extend the application of EN 1993-1-1 and EN 1993-1-5 to the design of rolled and welded steel sections with various shapes of web openings. The following cases are considered:
- rolled or welded beams with single or widely spaced web openings;
- rolled or welded beams with closely spaced web openings;
- cellular beams with circular openings made by cutting and re-welding two parts of steel sections that may be different in dimensions;
- beams with hexagonal and sinusoidal openings made by cutting and re-welding two parts of steel sections that may be different in dimensions.
(2) This document applies to uniform members with I or H profiles, which are symmetric about the weak axis. It does not apply to non-prismatic or curved beams although the same principles can apply.
(3) This document applies to steel beams with web openings that are subjected to sagging (positive) or to hogging (negative) bending moments.
(4) This document covers the verification of the resistance at the openings and their effects on the global behaviour of the beam, including lateral torsional buckling.
(5) Alternative methods are presented for beams with circular openings and with sinusoidal openings in which the forces and resistances are calculated by increments around or along the openings and which are suitable for computer methods.
(6) This document applies to web slenderness, hw/tw, not exceeding 121ε. The local checks at and between adjacent openings apply to web slenderness up to this limit. The material parameter ε is defined in EN 1993-1-1:2022, 5.2.5 (2).
NOTE The limit of 121ε is the limit of a Class 4 web for a steel section with equal flanges. It is used as a convenient limit for the application of this document, including mono-symmetric sections.
(7) This document does not cover fatigue. In case of fatigue, EN 1993-1-9 applies.
(8) This document does not cover fire design. For the design in case of fire, EN 1993-1-2 applies.
(9) This document does not cover the buckling verification of members with web openings under axial force.
1.1.2 Shapes of web openings
(1) The different shapes of web openings that are considered in this document are shown in Figure 1.1.
Figure 1.1 - Different shapes of web openings in steel beams
1.1.3 Stiffened openings
(1) This document also covers openings in the web of beams that are reinforced by longitudinal stiffeners and/or transverse stiffeners on one or both sides of the web, see Figure 1.2.
NOTE The National Annex can give rules for alternative types of stiffener.
Figure 1.2 - Stiffening of openings in beam webs
1.2 Assumptions
(1) Unless specifically stated, EN 1990, the EN 1991 series and EN 1993-1-1 apply.
(2) The design methods given in EN 1993-1-13 are applicable if:
- the execution quality is as specified in EN 1090-2, and
- the construction materials and products used are as specified in the relevant parts of the EN 1993 series, or in the relevant material and product specifications.