Sectional capacities of cold-formed perforated steel channel columns

Abstract

Holes are pre-punched in the web of cold-formed steel channel columns to accommodate the technical systems. Many research studies have considered and illustrated the impacts of web holes on the capacities of such steel channel columns. These impacts have been accounted for in the American Specification AISI S100-16 using a new design method termed as the Direct Strength Method (DSM). This method allows designers to predict the capacities of cold-formed steel members on the basis of elastic buckling analyses. These analyses can be carried out by using a new module software package CUFSM recently developed by The American Iron and Steel Institute to analyse the buckling behaviors of cold-formed steel sections with perforations. This paper is aimed to apply the DSM to investigate the sectional capacities of cold-formed steel channel columns with a variety of hole dimensions. The behaviors and strengths of these perforated steel channel sections are analysed; recommendations are subsequently provided for the optimum of capacities in terms of the same hole areas. It was found that perforated channel columns with smaller heights and longer lengths are more beneficial for sectional capacities in general. .