• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.895-905
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• 2022

Composite flooring systems consisting of cold-formed steel joists and reinforced concrete slabs offer an efficient, lightweight solution. However, utilisation of composite action to achieve enhanced strength and economical design has been limited. In this study, finite element modelling was utilised to create a three-dimensional model which was then validated against experimental results for a composite flooring system consisting of cold-formed steel joists, reinforced concrete slab and steel bolt shear connectors. This validated numerical model was then utilised to perform parametric studies on the performance of the structural system. The results from the parametric study demonstrate that increased thickness of the concrete slab and increased thickness of the cold formed steel beam resulted in higher moment capacity and stiffness of the composite flooring system. In addition, reducing the spacing of bolts and spacing of the cold formed steel beams both resulted in enhanced load capacity of the composite system. Increasing the concrete grade was also found to increase the moment capacity of the composite flooring system. Overall, the results show that an efficient, lightweight composite flooring system can be achieved and optimised by selecting suitable concrete slab thickness, cold formed beam thickness, bolt spacing, cold formed beam spacing and concrete grade.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.6 no.3 s.21
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• pp.77-86
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• 2006

The stress analysis of cold-formed channel section steel beams under transverse load is presented. The local buckling as well as the lateral buckling effects are included in the analysis. The analytical model is developed based on the thin-walled beam theory, and a one-dimensional finite element model is formulated to solve the analytical model. Numerical results are compared with AISI code. It shows that the proposed model is appropriate for predicting of stress as well as deflection of the cold-formed channel section beam.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.16 no.1 s.68
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• pp.51-60
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• 2004

The stress analysis of cold-formed channel section steel beams under transverse load was conducted. The local buckling effect was included in the analysis using effective area concept. The proposed analytical model is capable of predicting accurate normal stress in the beam due to various behaviors including biaxial bending and warping. It was found to be appropriate for predicting stresses as well as deflection in the beam. A finite element model was developed to solve the analytical model.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.2
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• pp.143-157
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• 2024

Cold-formed steel (CFS) I sections are increasingly being used as load-bearing components in building constructions, and such I sections frequently incorporate web holes to facilitate service installation. The economical and structural advantages of these elements have prompted many researchers to investigate the behavior of such structures. Despite numerous studies on the buckling stability of castellated beams, there is a notable absence of experimental investigation into oval castellated beams with stiffeners. This study examines the local buckling of cold-formed steel castellated I-beams stiffened with oval constellations through experimental and numerical analysis. Four specimens are fabricated with and without stiffeners, including parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting types attached to the web portion of the beam, along with cross stiffeners for the oval-shaped openings at the beam ends. Additionally, a numerical model is developed to predict the behavior of castellated beams with oval openings up to failure, considering both material and geometric nonlinearities. Codal analysis is performed using the North American specification for cold-formed steel AISI S-100 and the Australian/New Zealand design code AS/NZS 4600. The anticipated outcomes from numerical analysis, experimental research, and codal analysis are compared and presented. It will be more helpful to the preliminary designers.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.311-325
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• 2022

For multi-story structural systems, Korean steel industry has fostered development of a steel-concrete composite beam. Configuration of the composite beam is characterized by steel angle shear connectors welded to a U-shaped cold formed-steel beam. Effects of shear connector orientation and spacing were studied to evaluate current application of the angle shear connector design equation in AC495. For the study, interfacial shear resistance behavior was investigated by conducting 24 push-out tests and attuned using unreinforced push-out specimens. Interfacial shear to horizontal slip response was reported along with corresponding failure patterns. Pure shear connector strength was also evaluated by excluding concrete shear contribution, which was estimated in relation to steel beam-slab interface separation or interfacial crack width.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.315-323
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• 2022

Shear connectors are key elements that ensure integrity in a composite system. The primary purpose of a shear connector is to bring a high degree of interaction between composite elements. A wide variety of connectors are available for hot-rolled composite construction, connected to the beam through welding. However, with cold-formed members being very thin, welding of shear connectors is not desirable in cold-formed composite constructions. Shear connectors for cold-formed elements are limited in studies as well as in the market. Hence in this study, three different types of shear connectors, namely, single-channel, double channel, and self-tapping screw, were considered, and their performance assessed by the Push-out test as per Eurocode 4. The connection between channel shear connectors and the beam was made using self-tapping screws to avoid welding. The performance of the connectors was analyzed based on their ultimate capacity, characteristic capacity, ductility, and slippage during loading. Strength to weight ratio was also carried out to understand the proposed connectors' suitability for conventional ones. The results showed relatively higher initial stiffness and ductility for double channel connectors than other connectors. Also, self-tapping screws had a higher strength to weight ratio with low ductility.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 2006

This paper presents the results of a series of tests carried out on cold-formed steel rectangular hollow and concrete infilled beam to column connections and frames. A stub column was chosen such that overall buckling does not influence the connection behaviour. The beam chosen was a short-span cantilever with a concentrated load applied at the free end. The beam was connected to the columns along the strong and weak axes of columns and these connections were tested to failure. Twelve experiments were conducted on cold-formed steel direct welded tubular beam to column connections and twelve experiments on connections with concrete infilled column subjected to monotonic loading. In all the experiments conducted, the stiffness of the connection, the ductility characteristics and the moment rotation behaviour were studied. The dominant mode of failure in hollow section connections was chord face yielding and not weld failure. Provision of concrete infill increases the stiffness and the ultimate moment carrying capacity substantially, irrespective of the axis of loading of the column. Weld failure and bearing failure due to transverse compression occurred in connections with concrete infilled columns. Six single-bay two storied frames both with and without concrete infill, and columns loaded along the major and minor axes were tested to failure. Concentrated load was applied at the midspan of first floor beam. The change in behaviour of the frame due to provision of infill in the column and in the entire frame was compared with hollow frames. Failure of the weld at the junction of the beam occurred for frames with infilled columns. Design expressions are suggested for the yielding of the column face in hollow sections and bearing failure in infilled columns which closely predicted the experimental failure loads.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.511-522
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• 2022

An experimental investigation to study the behaviour of connections between cold-formed steel (CFS) joist and plywood structural panel is presented in this paper. Material testing on CFS and plywood was carried out to assess their mechanical properties and behaviour. Push-out tests were conducted to determine the slip modulus and failure modes of three different shear connection types. The employed shear connectors in the study were; size 14 (6mm diameter) self-drilling screw, M12 coach screw, and M12 nut and bolt. The effective bending stiffness of composite cold-formed steel and plywood T-beam assembly is calculated based on the slip modulus values computed from push-out tests. The effective bending stiffness was increased by 25.5%, 18% and 30.2% for self-drilling screw, coach screw, nut and bolt, respectively, over the stiffness of cold-formed steel joist alone. This finding suggests the potential to enhance the structural performance of composite cold-formed steel and timber flooring system by mobilisation of composite action present between timber sheathing and CFS joist.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.545-554
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• 2018

This study presents a novel method of improving the strength and stiffness of cold-formed steel (CFS) beams. Flexural members are primary members in most of the structures. Hence, there is an urgent need in the CFS industry to look beyond the conventional CFS beam sections and develop novel techniques to address the severe local buckling problems that exist in CFS flexural members. The primary objective of this study was to develop new CFS composite beam sections with improved structural performance and economy. This paper presents an experimental study conducted on different CFS composite beams with simply supported end conditions under four point loading. Material properties and geometric imperfections of the models were measured. The test strengths of the models are compared with the design strengths predicted by using Australian/New Zealand Standard for cold-formed steel structures. Furthermore, to ensure high precision testing, a special testing rig was also developed for testing of long span beams. The description of test models, testing rig features and test results are presented here. For better interpretation of results, a comparison of the test results with a hot rolled section is also presented. The test results have shown that the proposed CFS composite beams are promising both in terms of better structural performance as well as economy.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.5
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• pp.435-446
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• 2024

The use of cold-formed steel members is increasing day by day, especially in regions where earthquake effects are intensively experienced. Among cold-formed steel members (CFS), "channel" members are used more than other crosssectional members, especially in buildings or industrial structures. In recent years, several studies have been carried out on the axial load and flexural performance of these members under monotonic loading. In this study, CFS beam-column members were cyclically and monotonically loaded under combined axial load and biaxial bending moments, and their buckling behavior, load bearing capacity, stiffness, ductility, and energy absorption capacity were determined. For this purpose, monotonic and cyclic loading experiments were carried out on 30 CFS channel members at 15 different eccentricities. Then, material properties were determined by axial monotonic tensile and very low cycle fatigue tests for use in numerical studies. From the experimental results, the buckling modes, bearing capacities, ductility, stiffness, and energy absorption capacities of the members were obtained. The characteristics of the members were compared according to the stress state of the lips. According to the data obtained from the displacement transducer placed on the lips and on the back of the web, information about the buckling mode and curvature of the members was obtained. Finally, monotonic, and cyclic loading results were compared to determine the differences in the buckling behavior of the members.