Study on the behaviour of the cold formed

steel box struts under axial compression

Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 2161, 020045 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5127636
Published Online: 02 October 2019

P. Sangeetha, S. Ramanagopal, A. Jai Vigneshwar, A. Shrinidhi, and K. Vaishnavi

AIP Conference Proceedings 2161, 020045 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5127636 2161, 020045

© 2019 Author(s).
 Study on the Behaviour of the Cold Formed Steel Box
Struts under Axial Compression
P.Sangeetha1,a), S. Ramanagopal2,b), A. Jai Vigneshwar3,c), A. Shrinidhi4 and
K.Vaishnavi5
1,2,3,4,5
Department of Civil Engineering, SSN College of Engineering,Chennai-603 110, India
a)
Corresponding author:sangeethap@ssn.edu.in,
b)
ramanagopal@ssn.edu.in
c)
jai.vignesh.joy05@gmail.com

Abstract. Behaviour of welded thin – walled steel box stub struts fixed at the ends are studied. Failure of a member in
compression is on account of buckling of the member which is dependent on the slenderness ratio. A series of fifteen
box struts of square and rectangular cross-section were tested to failure. The parameters that are varied include struts
slenderness ratio (λ = 10, 15 & 20) and cross sectional shape (Square and Rectangular). All the specimens were
subjected to axial compression. The effects of these parameters on the ultimate strength of box sections are studied.
The experimental results are compared with analytical results obtained using Finite Element Software ANSYS.

INTRODUCTION

The recent advancements in manufacturing to produce high strength steels have led to use of thin plates
in structural elements and thus have resulted in significant savings. In the field of cold formed steel construction,
when thin plates are used as component plates in compression members they can cause local buckling that will
interact with the overall buckling of the member. The numerical procedure for predicting the strength of thin
plated steel box columns under the combined action of axial thrust and biaxial bending by Liew
et.al[1].Comparison are also made between the predicted results and experimental values and the design
equations are found to give fairly accurate results. To study the effects of bending and bearing length on the
failure load of hollow sections, Zhao and Hancock [2] carried out large member of tests on a range of cold
formed and rectangular hollow sections and compared with the existing Australian, European and American
design procedures. Guo and Fukumoto [4] have studied the theoretical ultimate load of locally buckled stub
columns loaded eccentrically. Jane Helena and Samuel Knight [3] carried out series of tests on stub and short
box columns with simply supported end conditions to examine the ultimate behaviour of thin walled steel box
columns subjected to biaxial loading. Sangeetha [5-8] have analysed the FRP wrapped concrete columns for the
published experimental results, using finite element software ANSYS and also studied the behaviour of
composite columns. In this paper the behaviour of the cold formed steel box stub struts under uniaxial
compression for varying cross sectional shape and slenderness ratio and compared the results with the analytical
results obtained using ANSYS software.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
The struts are fabricated from cold rolled steel sheet of thickness 1.2 mm. The component plates are
first bent in the form of channel and box specimens are fabricated by welding together two channel sections. In
order to apply the load through the centre of gravity of the test specimen 3 mm thick end plates are welded to
the end of struts and load is applied through the intersection of the diagonals. A total of fifteen box struts are
tested to failure. The dimensions of all the specimens are given in Table 1. The parameters that are varied
include, struts slenderness ratio (λ = 10, 15 & 20) and Cross sectional shape (Square and Rectangular).Fig.1
shows the details of the test specimen and its instrumentation.

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 TABLE 1. Detail of Specimens

Sl. Shape Specimen Size Height Size of the end Slenderness

N Number L×B× t plate ratio
o (mm) (mm) (mm) λ
1 S1 40 × 40 × 1.2 157 10
2 S2 40 × 40 × 1.2 236 50 × 50 × 3 15
3 S3 40 × 40 × 1.2 314 20
Square
4 S4 50 × 50 × 1.2 120 10
5 S5 50 × 50 × 1.2 184 60 × 60 × 3 15
6 S6 50 × 50 × 1.2 245 20
7 R7 30 × 45 × 1.2 195 10
8 R8 30 × 45 × 1.2 294 40 × 55 × 3 15
9 R9 30 × 45 × 1.2 392 20
10 R10 50 × 75 × 1.2 198 10
11 Rectangle R11 50 × 75 × 1.2 299 60 × 85 × 3 15
12 R12 50 × 75 × 1.2 399 20
13 R13 50 × 100 × 1.2 198 10
14 R14 50 × 100 × 1.2 300 60 × 110 × 3 15
15 R15 50 × 100 × 1.2 400 20

FIGURE 1. Specification of the specimens and position of dial gauges

ANALYTICAL STUDY
All the fifteen cold formed steel box struts were analysed using Finite element software ANSYS.
SOLID45 is used for the three-dimensional modeling of solid structures from ANSYS element library. It is an
eight noded element with three degree of freedom at each node having translations in the x, y and z direction.
This element has plasticity, creep, swelling, stress stiffening, large deflection, and large strain capabilities. The
details of the SOLID 45 are shown in Fig. 2.

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 FIGURE 2. SOLID45 3-D Structural Solid

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

All the specimens were tested to failure and the ultimate load carrying capacity of the cold formed steel
stub struts were found. From the experimental values, Load versus strain and load versus axial shortening
behaviour were studied. Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 shows the failure of the specimen after testing of the square and
rectangular box stubs respectively. From the fig. 3 and 5 it is observed that failure of the specimen is due to
inward and outward buckling along the longer and shorter side of the specimens respectively. And it is also
observed that elephant foot buckling for the specimens with square cross section. All the fifteen specimens were
analysed using ANSYS and its nodal displacement solution are shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 for square and
rectangular box stubs respectively. The experimental results were compared with the analytical results and it is
found that fairly good agreement between the results.

FIGURE 3. Tested Square Box Struts

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 FIGURE 4. Nodal deformation of Square Box Struts using ANSYS

FIGURE 5. Tested Rectangular Box Struts

FIGURE 6. Nodal deformation of Rectangular Box Struts using ANSYS

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 60 40 × 40 × 1.2 λ = 10 80 50 × 50 × 1.2 λ = 10
λ = 15 λ = 15
λ = 20 λ = 20

Applied Load (kN)

Applied Load (kN)

60
40
40
20
20

0 0
0 2 4 6 0 1 2 3 4
Axial Shortening (mm) Axial Shortening (mm)

FIGURE 7. Load versus axial shortening behaviour of the square box struts a) size 40 × 40 × 1.2 mm
b) size 50 × 50 × 1.2 mm

Fig. 7 shows the load versus axial shortening behaviour of square box struts of size 40 × 40 × 1.2 and
50 × 50 × 1.2. It can be that the percentage decrease in the ultimate load is 7 % for a change in λ from 10 to 15
whereas the percentage increase in the stiffness for a change in λ from 10 to 20 is 16 %. From the Fig. 7 it is
clear that non linearity in behaviour starts at 90 % of the ultimate load for all the stub struts irrespective of λ.
Fig. 8 shows the load versus axial shortening behaviour of rectangular box struts of size 50 × 100 × 1.2, 50 × 75
× 1.2 & 30 × 45 × 1.2. The percentage decrease in the ultimate load is 8 % for a change in λ from 10 to 15 and
16 % for a change in λ from 10 to 20.The percentage decrease in the load with respect to increase in the
slenderness ratio is shown in Fig. 9. The comparison between the experimental and analytical axial shortening
of the cold formed steel box stub struts are shown in Fig. 10 and it is found that the percentage difference
between them is 6.5 %. Experimental and analytical results are also tabulated in Table 2 and also compared the
results.

45 × 30 × 1.2 λ = 10 50 × 75 × 1.2 λ = 10
60 60 λ = 15
λ = 15
λ = 20 λ = 20
Applied Load (kN)

Applied Load (kN)

40 40

20 20

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Axial Shortening (mm) Axial Shortening (mm)
(a) (b)

FIGURE 8. Load versus axial shortening behaviour of the rectangular box struts a) size 50 × 100 × 1.2 mm
b) size 50 × 75 × 1.2 mm

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 80 100 × 50 × 1.2 λ = 10
λ = 15
λ = 20

Applied Load (kN)

60

40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Axial Shortening (mm)
(c)
FIGURE 8. Load versus axial shortening behaviour of the rectangular box struts c) size 30 × 45 × 1.2 mm
20 40 × 40
% Decrease in Ultimate load

50 × 50
16 30 × 45
50 × 75
12 50 × 100

0
10 15 20
Slenderness Ratio

FIGURE 9. % Decrease in Ultimate load versus Slenderness ratio

Eperimental axial shortening

3 Anaytical axial shortening
Axial Shortening [mm]

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
R7
R8
R9

R12
R10

R13
R14
R15
R11

Specimen Number

FIGURE 10. Comparison between experimental and analytical results

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 TABLE 2. Comparison between experimental and analytical results

Sl. Specimen λ Ultimate Experimental Analytical % Difference

No Number Load Axial shortening Axial in Axial
shortening shortening
(kN) (mm) (mm)
1 S1 10 56.16 0.90 0.58 8.89
2 S2 15 52.07 1.90 1.58 9.47
3 S3 20 47.17 2.20 1.72 9.55
4 S4 10 61.50 1.00 0.95 5.00
5 S5 15 59.14 1.25 1.15 8.00
6 S6 20 55.18 1.85 1.62 7.03
7 R7 10 55.63 1.35 1.32 2.22
8 R8 15 51.44 1.40 1.28 8.57
9 R9 20 47.08 1.45 1.39 4.14
10 R10 10 60.08 1.35 1.22 9.63
11 R11 15 56.52 1.65 1.53 7.27
12 R12 20 49.39 1.90 1.86 2.11
13 R13 10 59.94 1.15 1.05 8.70
14 R14 15 53.93 1.50 1.39 7.33
15 R15 20 48.86 2.60 2.51 3.46

CONCLUSION
From the experimental and analytical study on the behaviour of cold formed steel box stub struts, the
following conclusions are arrived.

x Square box struts for varying slenderness ratio from 10 to 15 and 10 to 20 shows decrease in the
ultimate load carrying capacity of about 7 % and 16 % respectively.
x The percentage decrease in the ultimate load carrying capacity of the rectangular box struts is 8 % and
18 % for a change in slenderness ratio from 10 to 15 and 10 to 20 respectively.
x Change in cross- sectional shape from a long rectangle to square does not significantly change the
ultimate load carrying capacity irrespective of the slenderness ratio.
x All the stub struts shows the non linearity in the load- strain behaviour after 90 % of the ultimate load
is applied.
x The axial shortening obtained using finite element software ANSYS is slightly lower than experimental
results because of the rigid connections.

REFERENCES
1. Richard Liew. J.Y, Shanmugam N.E, Lee.S.L., Journal of Cons. Steel Research, 16, 39-70(1990).
2. Zhao.X.L, Hancock. G.J., J. of Struct.Div., ASCE, 118, 648-668(1992).
3. Guo.Y.L, Fukumoto. Y., J. of Const. steel Research, 38, 239-253(1996).
4. Jane Helena H, Samuel Knight, Int J. of Steel and Comp. Struct, 5, 445-451(2005).
5. Sangeetha, P, “Analysis of FRP wrapped concrete columns under uniaxial compression”, J.of Scie & Ind.
Research, 66, 235-242(2007).
6. Sangeetha, P , Sumathi R, Int. J. of Adv. Engg. Tech., 1, 74-83(2010).
7. Sangeetha, P, Senthil R, Archives of Civil Engg., 63, 149-160(2017).
8. Sangeetha, P , Ashwin Muthuraman, R.M, Dachina G, Dhivya M, Janani S , Sai Madumathi, J. of
Informatics and Mathematical Sci., 10, 297-304(2018).

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