Numerical Analysis of Elastic Distortional Buckling for Cold-formed Thin-walled Steel Lipped Channel Columns

The distortional buckling which becomes a significant failure mode probably appears prior to the plates local buckling when high-strength steel with thinner cross-sections are widely used in building.The failure mechanism of distortional buckling is different from the local buckling,and the computing process of those elastic buckling stress are quite distinct.The present procedures for the calculation of critical elastic distortional buckling stress are very complicated and cumbersome,and the estimation of the buckling stress in design is depended on the numerical analysis method which the finite strip method and finite element method are usually used.A comparison of the results of elastic distortional buckling stress and half wavelength got by finite strip method and finite element method were conducted,it was found that the values were very close to each other.Two methods can be used for predicting the elastic distortional buckling of cold-formed thin-walled steel columns.