Direct Strength Method for Stainless Steel Lipped Channel Columns Undergoing Local Buckling

摘要

This paper reports the results of a numerical investigation on the influence of local buckling on the ultimate strength and design of locally fixed-end and globally pined-end stainless steel lipped channel columns in compression. The elastic buckling load is a key parameter in predicting the design strength of stainless steel lipped channel columns. Elastic buckling loads under simple-simple, clamped-clamped and experimental boundary conditions have been compared. To extend the data, a finite element model of stainless steel lipped channel columns has been developed and verified against the test data. Parametric studies on the stainless steel lipped channel columns were performed. The test results are compared with the strength predictions from direct strength method (DSM), indicating that DSM included in North American specification is unsafe, but the DSM proposed by Becque et al. is conservative. A modified DSM equation was proposed and has been proven to accurately predict the ultimate capacities of the stainless steel lipped channel columns in compression.