Earthquakes and Structures

Volume 12, Number 6, 2017, pages 665-672

DOI: 10.12989/eas.2017.12.6.665

Study on the bearing capacity of cold-formed steel under different boundary conditions in transmission towers

Junke Han, Xu Zhao, Zhenyun Tang, Hua Ma and Zhenbao Li

Abstract

Cold-formed steel is widely used in steel structures, especially in transmission towers, because of advantages such as low weight, high strength, excellent mechanical properties, etc. However, there is not a special design code for cold-formed steel use in transmission towers in China. For this study, a total of 105 compression members were tested statically to investigate the bearing capacity of cold-formed steel members under different boundary conditions in transmission towers. The test results were compared to the results predicted by the current design codes. For deeper insight, additional coupled members were simulated using finite element analysis. An improved design method was developed based on the experimental and analytical results.

Key Words

bearing capacity; instability; cold-formed steel; transmission tower; boundary condition

Address

Junke Han: Beijing Key Lab of Earthquake Engineering and Structural Retrofit, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China; China Electric Power Research Institute, Beijing 100055, China Xu Zhao, Zhenyun Tang, Hua Ma and Zhenbao Li: Beijing Key Lab of Earthquake Engineering and Structural Retrofit, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China