Cold-Formed Steel Unlipped Channels Subjected To Concentrated Bearing Load

Plate girders may be subjected to web crippling for concentrated bearing load in cold-formed steel structures without ending stiffeners or bearing stiffeners. Based on the experimental study on the cold-formed steel unlipped channels under concentrated bearing load, the feasibility about Perry formula applied in cold-formed steel structures is analyzed. A perry predicting expression is built up to attain the ultimate bearing capacity of cold-formed steel unlipped channel subjected to web crippling The test results are compared with design strength obtained using predictor expression. It is concluded that the design strength predicted by the expression are conservative.The finite element nonlinear analysis is also carried out. The numerical calculating results agreed well with the test data. The parameters affecting the web crippling capacity are researched through a series of numerical test specimens. The influences of thickness, yield strength and inside bend radius on the crippling capacity is ascertained. According to the results of numerical tests, the Chinese technical code (Technical Code of Cold-Formed Thin-Wall Steel Structures—GB 50018-2002) can be improved. A predicting expression is proposed to determine the ultimate bearing capacity of cold-formed steel unlipped channel subjected to web crippling. The comparison of calculating strength to test result shows that the proposed expression is reasonable and conservative.