Web Bearing Capacity of Cold-Formed Ferritic Stainless Steel Unlipped Channels with Web perforations under the End-Two-Flange (ETF) Loading

Laboratory and numerical evaluations on the web bearing capacity of unlipped cold-formed ferritic stainless steel channels are described in this paper. The channels considered have circular perforations in the web and are loaded under the end-two-flange (ETF) load case. A total of 387 results comprising 27 laboratory and 360 numerical results are presented. A nonlinear quasi-static finite element (FE) model was developed for the numerical investigation. An extensive parametric study is described to determine web bearing capacity reduction factors for different sizes of circular web perforations and cross-section dimensions; the circular web perforations are either centred or offset to the load and reaction plates. It is noted that no cold-formed stainless steel standard provides capacity reduction factors for any end-two-flange load case. The capacity reduction factor equations are first compared to reduction factors previously recommended for lipped cold-formed stainless steel channels. It is found that these existing equations are unreliable and unconservative for unlipped channels by as much as 11%. From both laboratory and finite element results, web bearing capacity design equations are proposed for both sections, with and without web perforations

Web Crippling Behavior of Cold-Formed Ferritic Stainless Steel Unlipped Channels under Interior-One-Flange And End-One-Flange Loadings

The web crippling strength of cold-formed ferritic stainless steel unlipped channels subject to interior-one-flange and end-one-flange loading is considered in this paper. A total of 144 results are presented, comprising 36 laboratory and 108 numerical results. These results cover the cases of both flanges restrained and unrestrained to the load and reaction plates. Unlike other work in the literature, the numerical analysis in this paper uses nonlinear quasi-static finite element analysis with an implicit integration scheme, which has advantages over static and quasi-static with an explicit integration scheme analyses, particularly for post buckling predictions of unlipped channels subject to web crippling. The laboratory and numerical investigations show current stainless steel design guidance to be too conservative. In terms of design standards, while no cold-formed stainless steel standard distinguishes between flanges restrained and unrestrained to the load and reaction plates, with each standard providing only one equation to cover both restrained and unrestrained, the web crippling strengths for the flanges unrestrained case were found to be higher than those predicted from SEI/ASCE-8 by as much as 24%. Also, the web crippling strengths for the flanges restrained case are shown to be higher than those predicted from equations found in the literature by as much as 48%. New web crippling design equations are proposed; the proposed equations are shown to be reliable when compared against laboratory and numerical results

Development of a Novel Pinned Connection for Cold-Formed Steel Trusses

Cold-formed steel trusses are a popular form of construction for light-weight buildings, particularly portal frame structures, for which spans up to 25m are increasingly common. In these long span trusses, providing high strength connections with sufficient elastic stiffness is a current limitation to developing cost-effective solutions. A novel pin-jointed truss connection named the Howick Rivet Connector (HRC) has been tested, firstly in a T-joint arrangement, then in a truss assemblage to determine its reliable strength and stiffness. Results showed that the HRC performs similarly to a bolted connection in terms of failure modes observed and loads reached. Additionally, the process of installing the HRC creates a bearing fit, eliminating slip due to tolerances. The elastic stiffness and proportionality limit of trusses with HRCs installed was shown to be appreciably greater than similarly dimensioned conventional screwed systems. Finite element (FE) models of both T-joints and trusses tested showed good agreement with experimental results, particularly in the transition from elastic to inelastic behaviour. The peak loads predicted from the FE models were however not accurately determined. To better predict this, it is recommended that the HRC forming and installation process be modelled to capture geometric irregularities and inelastic distributions which were idealised

Effect of Stressed-Skin Action on the Behaviour of Cold-Formed Steel Portal Frames

This paper describes six full-scale laboratory tests conducted on cold-formed steel portal frames buildings in order to investigate the effects of joint flexibility and stressed-skin diaphragm action. The frames used for the laboratory tests were of span of 6 m, height of 3 m and pitch of 10⁰; the frame spacing was 3 m. The laboratory test setup represented buildings of length of 9 m, having two gable frames and two internal frames. Tests were conducted on frames having two joint sizes, both with and without roof cladding. It was shown that as a result of stressed-skin diaphragm action, under horizontal load the bending moment at the eaves was reduced by approximately a factor of three, relative to the bare frame. It was also shown that as a result of stressed-skin action, the deflection of the internal frame reduced by 90%, and that the stiffness was independent of joint flexibility. On the other hand, owing to redistribution of bending moment from the eaves to the apex, the effect of joint flexibility was shown not to be significant on the overall failure load of the frame

Effect of Stressed-Skin Action on Optimal Design of a Cold-Formed Steel Portal Framing System

Cold-formed steel portal frames can be a viable alternative to conventional hot-rolled steel portal frames. They are commonly used for low-rise commercial, light industrial and agricultural buildings. In this paper, the effect of semi-rigid joints and stressed-skin action are taken into account in the optimal design of cold-formed steel portal frames. A frame idealization is presented, the results of which are verified against full-scale. A real-coded niching genetic algorithm (RC-NGA) is then applied to search for the minimum cost for a building of span of 6 m, height-to-eaves of 3 m and length of 9 m, with a frame spacing of 3 m. It was shown that if stressed-skin action and joints effects are taken into account, that the wind load cases are no longer critical and that the serviceability limit state controls for the gravity load case with the apex deflection binding. It was also shown that frame costs are reduced by approximately 65%, when compared against a design that does not consider stressed-skin action, and 50% when compared against a design based on rigid joints

Critical Design Criteria for Standard, Truncated, and Parallel Chords Cold-Formed Steel Trusses

The design of cold-formed steel trusses can be a very complicated and long repetitive process involving up to 28 load combinations added to serviceability checks depending on the design standards being used. This process is particularly tedious if a near optimal solution is required. Additionally, the risk of introducing human errors is usually quite high as it is a process often done by hand. FRAMECAD Structure is a niche software solution born from the desire to provide a complete solution for constructing with cold-formed steel by a company selling roll-forming machines. FRAMECAD Structure specialises on automating the calculations and design of cold-formed steel framed panels, trusses and joists with minimal user input. However, computational-oriented software applications are often not optimised for performance, hence the inefficiency in obtaining a design solution, i.e. the proposed solution is either not optimal or takes a considerable time to compute. To provide guidelines on the design of cold-formed trusses, this research uses FRAMECAD Structure to study which design parameters are critical and what impact they have on optimising the design outcome

Parametric Studies and Design Recommendations of Cold-Formed Steel Sections with Edge-Stiffened Circular Holes Subjected to Web Crippling

A parametric study of cold-formed steel sections with edge-stiffened circular holes subjected to web crippling under one-flange loading condition was undertaken using finite element analysis. The effect of different hole sizes, edge-stiffener length and distances of the web holes to the near edge of the bearing plate on the web crippling strengths of channel sections were investigated. The web crippling strengths are influenced by various geometry parameters: the ratio of the hole depth to the flat portion of the web, a/h, the location of the hole as defined by the distance of the hole from the edge of the bearing divided by the flat portion of the web, x/h and the ratio of the edge-stiffener length to the flat portion of the web, q/h. In order to find the effect of a/h, x/h and q/h ratios on web crippling strength of channel sections with web holes, three separate parametric studies were carried out. The results indicate that with a suitable edge-stiffener length, the web crippling strength of cold-formed steel channel section with holes can be as high as the one without holes. In this paper, based on the finite element results a correlation are established for the web crippling strength of the channel sections without web holes, with unstiffened and edge-stiffened circular web holes corresponding with the ratios a/h, x/h and q/h for the interior-one-flange (IOF) and end-one-flange (EOF) loading conditions, respectively

Experimental and Analytical Studies of Cold-Formed Steel Sections with Edge-Stiffened Circular Holes Subjected to Web Crippling

Cold-formed steel sections are often used as wall studs or floor joists and such sections often include web holes for ease of installation of services. The holes are normally punched or bored and are unstiffened; when the holes are near to points of concentrated load, web crippling can be the critical design consideration. Recently, a new generation of cold-formed steel channel sections with edge-stiffened circular holes has been developed. The web holes are stiffened through a continuous edge stiffener/lip around the perimeter of the hole. In this paper, a combination of experimental investigations and non-linear finite element analyses are used to investigate the effect of such edge-stiffened holes under the interior-one-flange (IOF) and end-one-flange (EOF) loading conditions; for comparison, sections without holes and with unstiffened holes are also be considered. A non-linear finite element models are described, and the results compared against the laboratory test results; a good agreement was obtained in terms of both strength and failure modes