Post-yield response of cold-cambered wide flange steel beams

The post-yield response of steel beams is important in steel fabrication particularly for setting cambers. A commonly used cambering process known as “cold cambering” consists of bending the girder about its strong axis using single or dual symmetrically applied concentrated loads. This paper recasts available solutions for wide flange steel beams relating loads to permanent deformation in parametric form to determine the effect of cross-sectional geometry and load position on its post-yield response. Sensitivity analyses were then conducted to identify appropriate values of these key parameters and their impact on alternative cambering set-ups. This allows optimization of the cold cambering operation for single- and dual-load systems. The analysis shows that dual-load systems offer significant benefits over single-load systems as they develop the required camber profile at smaller loads without overstraining the steel section. The best results are obtained if the spacing between the two loads is kept within one-third to one-quarter of the span.