On the direct strength design of cold-formed steel columns failing in local-distortional interactive modes

This paper present and discusses proposals for the codification of efficient design approaches for cold-formed steel columns affected by local-distortional (L-D) interaction. These proposals, based on the Direct Strength Method (DSM), were developed, calibrated and validated on the basis of experimental and numerical (shell finite element) failure load data concerning columns with several cross-section shapes (plain, web-stiffened and web-flange-stiffened lipped channels, hat-sections, zed-sections and rack-sections) and obtained from investigations carried out by various researchers. Three types of L-D interaction are taken into account, namely “true L-D interaction”, “secondary-local bifurcation L-D interaction” and “secondary-distortional bifurcation L-D interaction”. Moreover, previously available DSM-based design approaches developed to handle column L-D interactive failures are reviewed and their merits are assessed and compared with those exhibited by the present proposals. The paper also presents reliability assessments of the failure load predictions provided by the available and proposed DSM-based design approaches, following the procedure prescribed by the current version of the North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members.