A review of recent developments on design of perforated beams

In modern commercial or residential buildings with high specifications in building services, a common method of incorporating services within the floor-ceiling zone of buildings is to create large openings in the webs of beam members. The openings are most likely to be rectangular or circular, and may be in the form of discrete openings, or a series of openings, along the member length of the beam. Over the past few decades, the structural behaviour of beams with web openings was a popular research topic, and numerous research projects were executed and reported including experimental investigations, finite element studies, and also development of design rules. This paper presents a review on recent developments on design of perforated beams, and recommendations for future development are also provided.