A COMPARATIVE FINITE ELEMENT INVESTIGATION OF VON MISES STRESS, DEFLECTION AND LOAD-CARRYING CAPACITY IN CHS AND CFST WARREN TRUSS STRUCTURES
Sharath Hanavadi Premakumar,
Raviraj Shivaiah,
Goud Mallesh
Abstract: This study presents a comparative finite element investigation of von Mises stress, deflection and load-carrying capacity in Warren truss structures fabricated using Circular Hollow Sections (CHS) and Concrete-Filled Steel Tube (CFST) members. A total of twelve three-dimensional truss models conforming to Tata Structura specifications (IS 4923) were developed and analyzed using ANSYS Workbench under mid-point, two-point and uniformly distributed loading (UDL) conditions, evaluating the influence of the sectional area ratio (2A₁/A₂) and the depth-to-thickness ratio (h/t) on structural response. The steel was modelled with a Young's modulus of 210 GPa, yield strength of 310 MPa and Poisson's ratio of 0.3, while the concrete infill was assigned a compressive strength of 30 MPa and a Poisson's ratio of 0.25. Theoretical mid-span deflections for the CHS configurations ranged from 7.96 mm to 18.95 mm, with corresponding CFST values of 5.92 mm to 14.97 mm, reflecting stiffness improvements of 21.0% to 37.6%. Finite element results confirmed these trends, with CHS deflections of 9.20 mm to 21.01 mm and CFST deflections of 6.89 mm to 16.84 mm across all loading conditions, with deviations between theoretical and FEA results within 7.5–16.4%. Nonlinear analyses of the CFST configurations yielded ultimate load-carrying capacities of 355 kN, 245 kN and 600 kN under mid-point, two-point and UDL loading respectively, representing strength improvements of 49.0%, 37.7% and 26.4% over the equivalent CHS system. Average von Mises stresses across all configurations ranged between 242.86 and 307.14 MPa, remaining below the steel yield strength of 310 MPa and confirming structural safety within the elastic range. The results demonstrate that CFST Warren truss systems offer significant advantages in load-carrying capacity, stiffness and ductility, making them a viable and efficient alternative to conventional CHS trusses for bridge, industrial and infrastructure applications.
Keywords: Warren truss, CHS, CFST, Finite element analysis, Deflection, Load carrying capacity, von Mises Stress
DOI: 10.24874/PES08.02B.017
Recieved: 13.04.2026 Revised: 21.05.2026 Accepted: 02.06.2026
UDC:
Reads: 11 
