Flexural behaviour of cold-formed steel square and rectangular hollow sections with moderate heat-treatment

Abstract

This paper discusses the flexural behaviour of cold-formed square and rectangular hollow steel sections (SHSs and RHSs) with subsequent heat-treatment through experimental and numerical investigations. Firstly, an experimental programme comprising tensile coupon tests on flat and corner regions and three-point bending beam tests were conducted. A total of 12 specimens were tested under monotonic bending loads, covering a variety of section slenderness. Failure modes, moment-rotation curves and plastic hinge lengths have been evaluated highlighting the effect of the web-flange interaction on rotation capacity. Successively, experimental results were combined with numerical FE results to assess the corresponding moment and deformation capacities. Current cross-section classification limits given in Eurocode 3 and AISC 360–16 were assessed and new limits has been proposed.