Experimental investigation of cold-formed steel channels with slotted webs in shear

• Web slots reduced shear strength of tested channels by 50–71%.
• The shear strength reduction depended on channel thickness and depth.
• Slotted channels demonstrated more ductile behavior when compared with solid ones.
• Slotted channels exhibited post-buckling strength due to tension field action.
• Tentative equations for shear strength of slotted channels were proposed.

This paper presents results of an experimental investigation on shear strength of cold-formed steel channels with slotted webs. Fifteen specimens with slotted webs and ten specimens with solid webs were tested in three-point bending. The channel web slots studied in this work caused 50% to 71% reduction in the ultimate shear strength, which depended on the profile thickness and depth. Tentative equations for the shear capacity of slotted channels with and without tension field action were proposed. The equations that include tension field action showed a good agreement with the test results, which indicates that the slotted channels exhibited post-buckling strength due to tension field action.

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