Stability of thin-walled structural members and systems

Abstract

This DEng thesis consists of 83 articles containing research material on the stability of thin-walled structural members and systems with emphasis on metal structures. Metal structures are used widely in the construction industry. They include structural members and frames made from rolled and fabricated steel, cold-formed steel, stainless steel and aluminium. Common to these products is the desire to minimise the cross-sectional area to reduce weight and cost. Structural cross-sections are therefore thin-walled and prone to buckling, and an overriding consideration in the design of metal structures is to account for buckling in determining the strength of sections, members and frames. Specifically, the thesis is concerned with determining the reduction in buckling capacity and strength of structural members and frames caused by cross-sectional buckling and material softening. The thesis presents research under the headings Stainless Steel Structures - Hollow Sections, covering tubular columns, beams and welded connections; Stainless Steel Structures - Open Sections, addressing the effect of distortional buckling and interaction buckling on the design of stainless steel columns and beams; Analysis of Locally Buckled Members and Frames, describing a theory to determine the buckling loads of locally and/or distortionally buckled members and frames; Behaviour and Design of Members and Sections Composed Solely or Predominantly from Unstiffened Elements, outlining analytical, numerical and experimental research to advance the understanding of the behaviour and design of singly symmetric cross-sections made up entirely or predominantly from plate elements, including angle sections, T-sections and plain channel sections; Cold-formed Steel Structural Systems, describing numerical and experimental investigations of steel storage racks including selective and drive-in racking systems; and System-based Design of Steel Structures, developing a general framework for designing steel structural framing systems by advanced analysis, termed the Direct Design Method. The thesis also highlights the implementation of the research outcomes in national and international specifications for the design of steel, cold-formed steel and stainless steel structures.