EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE BEHAVIOUR OF COLD-FORMED STEEL SECTIONS WITH PUNCHED WEBS.
Abstract
Cold-formed steel structural members with punched webs and flanges are widely used in buildings. Due to lack of research results on the behaviour of such members, present design codes do not provide any guidelines for design of members with openings. In order to study the behaviour of such members stub columns with punched webs were tested. This paper summarizes the experimental findings. Local buckling load, ultimate load, load-axial shortening relationships and load-web out of plane deflection relationships of various members with various size and shape holes are provided. A design approach using the present design code is explored.