Non-linear curling of wide single-flange steel panels

An original analytical model to study the non-linear flange curling in wide single-flange panels is presented in this paper. Flange curling phenomenon is the tendency of the wide thin flanges (in compression or tension) to move towards the neutral axis, when thin-walled members are subjected to bending. Despite the simplicity of the formula developed in earlier works of Winter to account for the flange curling effects, which is used in current steel codes, recent work has showed that this expression is rather restrictive and does not apply for all cases. The analytical expressions reported here are rather general since they (i) consider the restraining effect provided by the web, (ii) account for the shift of the neutral axis due to curling, (iii) incorporate the decrement of the second moment of area due to curling, and (iv) are fully analytical, thus avoiding iterative techniques. The analytical model is applied to study the curling behaviour of profiled steel decks and cassette-wall panels and is validated by means of comparisons with experimental results available in the literature. Since the EC3 rules state that the tensioned wide flange in liner trays should be reduced if the curling displacement is higher than 5% of the web height, approximate expressions to evaluate the reduced width of the wide thin flange under curling are proposed.