Long-Span Cold-Formed Steel Double Channel Portal Frames

Abstract

A comprehensive study on long-span cold-formed steel portal frames composed of back-to-back channel sections is presented. The aim of the study is to determine appropriate design guidelines in order for engineers to safely and efficiently build larger frames. The system analyzed herein is a haunched portal frame with a knee brace connected between the column and rafter. The objectives of the research were achieved through an extensive experimental study as well as numerical investigations. A comprehensive experimental program was completed to determine the strength and behavior of the frames. A total of nine full scale portal frame systems were tested, eight of which had unbraced columns. Variations to the frame layout, including modifications to the knee connection and the addition of sleeve stiffeners, were tested for both vertical and combined wind and vertical loading conditions. Column base rotational stiffness was quantified in the full scale experiments and in separate component tests. An advanced shell finite element model was created and calibrated with measured material and sections properties and column base stiffness, and was validated with the experimental results. A parametric study was completed to determine the effects of various configurations of the knee brace connection, as well as column base stiffness, on frame ultimate load. A larger span model was created to determine the suitability of the frame design for larger spans. A design procedure was developed to determine frame design loads. An energy method approach was employed to calculate the elastic buckling capacity of the column, which considers the elastic torsional restraint provided by the knee connection. A calibrated beam element model was used to determine the internal actions of the frame. A reliability check was completed and it was determined that the developed design method is suitable to design cold-formed steel portal frames.