Structural Size Optimization of Single and Built-Up Cold-Formed Steel Beam-Column Members
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 4
Abstract
The use of cold-formed steel (CFS) elements in residential and industrial buildings is widely gaining popularity due to their ability to provide cost-effective and sustainable solutions. A high degree of flexibility in the manufacturing of various cross-sectional shapes provides a unique opportunity to further improve the load-carrying capacity of these elements through an optimization process, leading to more efficient and economical structural systems. This paper aims to offer a practical methodology for the optimum design of CFS beam-column members with different lengths and thicknesses, subject to various combinations of axial compression and bending moment, but with constant material use. The optimization process is carried out using a genetic algorithm and aims to maximize the resistances of CFS members, determined according to the European design guidelines (Eurocode 3). Six initial prototype cross sections, including both single and built-up channel sections, are selected and their relative dimensions and edge stiffener configurations are allowed to vary during the optimization process. To ensure practically relevant solutions Eurocode 3 slenderness constraints, as well as a range of practical manufacturing and construction limitations, are imposed on the cross sections. Standard commercially available single and back-to-back lipped channel sections are taken as the starting points of the optimization and used to benchmark the efficiency of the optimized sections. Significant gains in capacity (of up to 156% in the present study) can be obtained compared to the initial cross sections, while the optimization results also offer further insights on the material efficiency achievable with various cross-sectional shapes in combined loading scenarios ranging from pure bending to pure compression.
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Data Availability Statement
Data, models and software code generated as part of this study are available from the corresponding author by request. Data includes details of optimization generations, cross-sectional properties, and the member capacities.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Grant No. EP/L019116/1. The first author was also supported by EPSRC Doctoral Scholarship, Grant No. 1625179. The authors thank the EPSRC for its financial support.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 4 • April 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 30, 2020
Accepted: Dec 11, 2020
Published online: Jan 28, 2021
Published in print: Apr 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jun 28, 2021
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