Finite Element Analysis and an Effective Measure to Distortional Buckling of Cold-Formed Channel Columns

Open cross-section,thin-walled,cold-formed steel columns have at least three competing buckling modes: local,distortional,and flexural-torsional buckling.For cold-ormed lipped channel sections,the distortional buckling mode is often the strength-governing mode among the several possible buckling modes.This article uses the finite element analysis to investigate the strengths and behavior of cold-formed lipped channel columns subjected to combined axial compression and uniaxial bending in the plane of symmetry,and provides an effective measure for preventing channel columns from distortional buckling.