Some Features of the European Norm

for Cold-Formed Steel Design

in comparison
with the AISI Specification
S. dny*, B. Schafer**
*Budapest University of Technology and Economics
**Johns Hopkins University

Outline
Introduction
Some features of cold-formed EC3

Materials
Geometry
Local and distortional buckling
Member resistance
Design assisted by testing
Beams restrained by sheeting

Numerical example

The Eurocodes

Eurocode 0 (EN 1990) Basis of the design

Eurocode 1 (EN1991) Actions (loads)
Eurocode 2 (EN 1992) Concrete structures
Eurocode 3 (EN 1993) Steel structures
Eurocode 4 (EN 1994) Composite (steel/concrete) str.

Note: ENV, prEN certain preliminary versions

Eurocode 3

Part 1.1 General rules

Part 1.2 Fire design
Part 1.3 Cold-formed steel
Part 1.5 Plated structures

Part 2 Steel bridges

Some comments on Eurocodes

Not ready - some parts exist only in a very first draft
version
Continuously changing
Flexible everything is allowed if the safety is OK
National Application Document (NAD) can modify
almost everything

Principle of verifications
Limit state design:

Rk
Rd
gG ,Q ,...yE k Ed
gM
Partial safety factor for the resistance: gM
Partial safety factor for the loads: gG, gQ
Combination factor: y

Basic notations

Design value of resistance subscript Rd

Design value of actions subscript Ed
Yield strength: fy
Slenderness: l
Reduction factor for buckling: c

Scope of EC3 Part 1.3

Cold-formed profiled sheeting
Cold-formed beams / columns
Thickness: 0.45 mm tcor 15 mm
(can be further limited by NADs)

Materials
60+ standardized steel material
Yield strength: 220 700 MPa (32 101 ksi)
According to EN and ISO standards
Restrictions may apply for higher strength materials
Other materials are allowed
Requirements for other mats. are given

Hardening due to cold-forming

Basic yield strength (fyb) average yield strength (fya)
To be applied for the whole section
For fully effective sections, only
The formula:

Rounded corners
In general: fictitious plane elements are introduced

Upper limit:
r 0.04tE/fy test is necessary
Lower (optional) limit:
r 5t and r 0.1bp the effect can be neglected

Geometrical limits
b/t ratios, similar to AISI Spec.
+ limit for web inclination

+ limit for edge stiffeners

Buckling - general procedure

1. critical stress calculation (in function of half-wave
length)
2. identification of buckling modes
3. calculation of effective widths based on the minimum
local buckling stress
4. calculation of reduced thickness based on distortional
buckling stress

5. calculation of reduction factor for overall buckling

resistance based on effective cross-section

Local buckling
Effective width approach
Effective width: similar to Winter formula, but modified
for outstand elements
for stress gradient
Effective sections:

Distortional buckling
Reduced thickness is determined for the stiffeners (or
other distorted parts)
For C/Z sections: hand method is given
For other sections: numerical method is necessary
Effective widths must be calculated prior to reduced
thickness !

Distort. buckl. C/Z sections

The basic model:
Equivalent spring stiffness is given
only for C/Z sections:
Dist. buckl. stress critical stress
of a bar on elastic foundation

Reduction factor for the stiffener:

Iteration for the thickness is
necessary

Bending moment resistance

If the cross-section is not fully effective:
elastic resistance
If the cross-section is fully effective:
elastic resistance with hardening
If fully effective, + uniaxial bending about principal axis,
+ no torsion, + no any of torsional buckling, + web
inclination is less than 30:

partial or full plastic resistance

Bending moment resistance

If first yielding is in the tension flange:
partial plastic resistance
Bending moment redistribution is allowed.
Effect of shear lag must be considered.
(only a reference is given)

Torsional moment resistance

Torsion must be considered:
t from St Venant torsion
t and s from warping
No formulae given how to calculate stresses from
torsion.
Stresses from torsion must be summarized with
stresses from other actions.
Hardening effect can be considered.
For shear, torsion: gross cross-section
For normal force, bending moments: effective section

Other cross-sectional resistances

Tension: increased yield strength (fya) is used
Compression: hardening may be considered
shift of neutral axis must be considered
Biaxial bending: linear interaction
Shear: plastic and buckling resistances
webs with longitudinal stiffeners are handled
Crippling: detailed empirical formulae
webs with longit. stiffeners are handled
Interaction: shear+axial+bending is handled

Buckling resistance for compression

Buckling resistance is obtained from cross-sectional
axial resistance, with a reduction factor (c)
For reduction: the European buckling curves are used
Flexural buckling:
Resistance is calculated on the effective area
However, a reduced slenderness is used to
calculate the reduction factor
fya can be used for fully effective sections

Buckling res. for comp. - torsion

Torsional and torsional-flexural buckling:
basically the same as flexural buckling
numerical methods for calculation of critical force is
allowed with the gross cross-section
guidance for end-conditions is given for some
practical cases

Buckling resistance for bending

The given method can only be used:
for practically rigid cross-sections
if no significant angle between principal axes of
gross and effective cross-sections
Buckling resistance is obtained from cross-sectional
bending resistance, with a reduction factor (cLT)
For reduction: a special LT buckling curve is used
Resistance is calculated on the effective area
However, a reduced slenderness is used to calculate
the reduction factor
fya can be used for fully effective sections

Buckling res. for bending contnd.

Second-order moments may be necessary to consider
Interaction for double symmetrical cross-sections:
reference to Part 1.1
two methods (German vs. French)

Interaction for other cross-sections

Serviceability limit states

Relevant norms:
EN 1990 (Basis of design)
EN 1993-1-1 (General rules for steel)
EN 1993-1-3 (Cold-formed)
Only guidance is given, limit values (deflection, etc)
must be agreed with the client
For cold-formed:
Fictitious moment of inertia is proposed
Influence of slip must be considered

Design assisted by test

Long list of principles are given:
planning, execution, evaluation and documentation
Several specific tests are described
Tests on profiled sheets (single-span, double-span,
internal support, end-support tests)
Tests on beams/columns (stub column, member
buckling, cross-s. tension, c.s. bending)
Tests on assemblages / structures (acceptance,
strength, prototype failure, calibration)
Tests on torsionally restrained beams (, )

Design assisted by test contnd.

Combination of tests and mathematical models is
allowed
Evaluation of test results:
Measured data
Adjusted results
Mean value
Characteristic value
Design value

Beams restrained by sheeting

Basic model:

Verification:
Normal force + vertical bending + lateral bending
Buckling

Simplified method is also available

Numerical example
A numerical example has been worked out
Local and distortional buckling of Z/C beams
EXAMPLE

Thank you.

elastic

plastic

elastic with hardening

To Figure

elastic

plastic

shear buckling

shear yielding