Cold-formed steeJ structures

摘要

Cold-formed steel structures are steel structural products that are made by bending Hat sheets of steel at ambient temperature into shapes which will support more than the flat sheets themselves. They have been produced for more than a century since the first flat sheets of steel were produced by the steel mills. However, in recent years, higher strength materials and a wider range of structural applications have caused a significant growth in cold-formed steel relative to the traditional heavier hot-rolled steel structural members. This paper contains three components. First, it reviews and summarises the major research developments in cold-formed steel structures over the last 3 years (1999-2001) as published in leading journals on steel structures and thin-walled structures. Secondly, it summarises the development of the North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members. Finally, it provides a brief summary of the Direct Strength Method being developed by the American Iron and Steel Institute Specification Committee.