Deformation analysis of solar photovoltaic (PV) structures: lateral-torsional buckling of C purlins restrained by solar modules

Solar photovoltaic (PV) structures such as canopies and fixed-tilt racking structures may experience large deformations under wind loading. The nonlinear responses of these structures are quite complicated considering that cold-formed C sections, Z sections and Hat sections are widely used. To accurately capture the behavior of these nonsymmetric sections, the effects of axial-flexural-torsional interaction and warping should be considered. In …