A fully non-linear finite element (FE) package has been used to examine the behaviour and design requirements for the transverse stiffeners of transversally stiffened webs in plate and box girder bridges. Initially the stiffeners were modelled as a nodal line support to study the shape and magnitude of the forces acting due to the destabilising effects of the buckling of web panels up to their ultimate capacity. Analyses were also carried out with various stiffener geometries to study the variation of web strength with stiffener size and the effects of the stiffener deflections. Analyses were undertaken on webs subjected to shear, bending and compression. A design method has been formulated based on a simple beam spanning between the top and bottom flanges of the girders. The design method is generally compatible with the clauses of BS 5400 Part 3. The paper compares the resulting design requirements with those of the British Code. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD 869077.
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