Experimental investigation of short cruciform columns using universal beam sections

The objective of this paper is to study the axial capacity of cruciform steel columns using universal beam sections. The cruciform steel column is made up of two universal beam sections where one of the beam sections is cut into two pieces along its longitudinal axis, and connected to the other beam section by fillet welding to form the cruciform shape. BS5950-1: 2000 and Eurocode 3 codes were used to predict the theoretical axial load capacity of the column. A series of experimental tests comprised of four universal beam sections and four cruciform column sections has been carried out to validate the proposed cruciform column. Due to the limitation of the test rig to apply the vertical load, the length of the tested column was limited to short column of 1.7 m and the slenderness ratio was in the range of 26–35. The tests results were compared with the theoretical results adopted from BS 5950-1: 2000 and EC 3. The results showed that the actual capacity of the tested cruciform columns were higher than the theoretical values with the ratio in the range of 1.01–1.21 compared to BS 5950-1: 2000 and of 1.08–1.47 compared to EC 3. This study has concluded that cruciform column using universal beam section provides an alternative column sections that increase the axial capacity, stiffness of the column and reduce the total required steel weight.