Numerical finite element simulation and structural behaviour of cold-formed steel members

Abstract

Cold-formed steel (CFS) is going through an interesting phase of development. Thin-walled cold-rolled steel structures are adopted widely for low-mid rise construction. The CFS sections find its application, not for construction but alternate sectors too, such as automobile and aerospace applications. Many research on the CFS members have been conducted in past but yet there is a scarcity of research done for flexural members, especially under the 3-point loading scenario. Unlikely most common 4-point loading, in the case of 3-point loading the member is under gradient moment distribution as well as is exposed to uniform shear along the span of the member. This paper attempts to bridge this gap and explains the developed finite element (FE) model, validating the developed model, followed by a parametric study. Commercially available FE program ABAQUS was adopted for numerical simulations. An extensive parametric study was conducted considering, 7 geometric sections, having 12 spans and two grades of steel, making a total of 168 simulations. The member non-dimensional slenderness (λ) ranged from 0.40 to 2.17. Preliminary results of this research indicate the significant effect of geometry, grade and non-dimensional slenderness on member moment behaviour and capacity. A higher grade of steel is found to be more sensitive to the effects of non-dimensional slenderness.