Stability analysis of large diameter thin-walled tube beam-columns

Abstract

Based on a blind spot in the current design standard of steel structures, the large diameter thin-walled tube beam-columns are analyzed using nonlinear finite element method in this paper. The influence of several factors on stability capacity of the large diameter thin-walled tube beam-columns is taken into account. Thus, according to the correlative design standard of steel structures, and on the basis of the numerical analytical results by the finite element methods, the calculation formulas of the stability bearing capacity are presented for beam-column members of the large diameter thin-walled tubes. Three tests of thin-walled steel tube beam-columns were reported. Test results for deformations and ultimate strength are found to be in a good agreement with the corresponding values predicted by the calculation formulas, and the proposed methods can be used in design practice.

Keywords

large diameter thin-walled steel tubes / stability bearing capacity of beam-column members / initial imperfections / slenderness ratio λ