Parametric study and Improved design guidelines of CFS battened built-up columns

Abstract

This paper presents the parametric study on the strength and behaviour of CFS closed built-up battened columns. The CFS closed built-up battened column consists of two lipped channels placed face-to-face with a uniform spacing of battens. Finite element models are validated with the results of the test specimens available in the thesis of the first author. The parametric study on 176 cold-formed steel built-up column sections is extended by using the validated finite element modeling covering a wide range of global column slenderness, plate slenderness and yield stress. The numerical results from the parametric study are compared with the design strengths calculated by the European specifications (EN1993-1-3:2006) and AISI Specifications (AISI S100:2016). The comparison of parametric results with the design strength predictions has indicated the design guidelines of the specifications need improvement. The design strength predictions of the specifications are also assessed by conducting the reliability analysis. Therefore, the exiting design rules are modified to improve the accuracy of the design strength predictions for the CFS closed built-up battened columns subjected to the axial compression. Furthermore, the reliability of the proposed methods is confirmed by means of reliability analysis.