Abstract
A cellular beam is a widened I-profile section with circular web openings. This type of perforated-web beam has been used immensely throughout the world during the last two decades. Lateral torsional buckling is one of the steel beam's limit state designs. This study aims to investigate the behavior of cellular beams against lateral torsional buckling. A validated numerical model was employed in a sort of parametric study. The examined parameters are applied load configurations and the geometrical ratios of flange width-to-thickness, web height-to-thickness, openings' spacing-to-diameter, beam's span-to-depth, and opening's diameter to beam-depth. Based on the results of the parametric study, a lower-bound design formula for predicting the lateral torsional buckling moment resistance of simply supported cellular beams was proposed. The suggested design formula can predict, with an acceptable degree of accuracy, the lateral torsional bending strength of simply supported cellular beams being subjected to various types of destabilizing loads.