This paper deals with the application of the Overall Interaction Concept (O.I.C.) to the practical design of hollow structural shapes. More precisely, the concern here is to demonstrate the ability of the O.I.C. to accurately account for the influence of local buckling on the cross-sectional carrying capacity. In this respect, detailed investigations have been performed, covering the various influences of ⅰ) plastic to slender cross-sectional behavior, ⅱ) rectangular, square or circular hollow section shapes, ⅲ) cold-formed or hot-finished elements, and ⅳ) simple to complex loading situations. First, the paper describes an extensive experimental program that comprised 57 main tests and reports the results on initial geometric imperfections and residual stresses measurements. This information is further used within the validation of FE shell models versus test results. The numerical models were shown to correlate quite well with experimental results and were then employed in parametric studies aiming at characterizing the onset of local buckling with respect to the parameters listed above. Further developments are actually under way to finalize a comprehensive and consistent design procedure by using the numerical results.
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