Design of fixed-ended cold-formed steel plain angle compression members

Abstract

Design equations for fixed-ended cold-formed steel plain angle columns are proposed in this paper. The proposed equations are modified from the current design equations in the American Specification and Australian/New Zealand Standard for cold-formed steel structures. A series of tests on cold-formed steel plain angle columns compressed between fixed ends is described in this paper. The test strengths are compared with the design strengths calculated using the American Specification and Australian/New Zealand Standard for cold-formed steel structures. The required additional moment as specified in the Specification and Standard was not included in calculating the design strengths for slender and non-slender angle sections. It is shown that the design strengths predicted by the Specification and Standard are generally very conservative. Whereas the proposed design equations provided much more accurate results compared with the current design rules for both slender and non-slender plain angle sections.