Estudo do efeito de aberturas no comportamento de painéis de light steel frame com perfis “U”

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical analysis of the structural behavior of panels composed of cold-formed U-beams used in the Light Steel Framing (LSF) construction system under compressive loads. The numerical models were modeled and simulated using Abaqus software. The main objective is to evaluate the structural performance of LSF profiles with and without window and door openings. The analyses were conducted on two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) models, keeping the profile dimensions and thicknesses constant. The simulation results were presented using images generated by Abaqus, which represent structural displacements using color scales. These visual representations were used to compare the behavior of the 2D and 3D models, focusing on the displacement differences between the different configurations analyzed. It was found that the presence of openings significantly increases displacements, especially in regions near the edges, due to the reduction in the resistant area and the concentration of deformations. Furthermore, the comparison between the models showed that 3D modeling is more sensitive to realistic load distribution and global structural behavior, while simpler 2D models may be more suitable for preliminary analyses. Therefore, it is concluded that the choice between 2D or 3D modeling should consider the level of detail required and the objective of the analysis.