Numerical Simulation of High-Strength Steel Box-Shaped Columns Failing in Local and Overall Buckling Modes

An experimental research project was conducted to evaluate the compression stability of high strength steel sections. Two buckling modes "local and overall buckling" and the interaction between them were investigated. To further study the structural behavior of the columns thoroughly, finite element analyses were performed using ABAQUS. This paper presents a finite element analysis on the postbuckling behavior of thin-walled compression members of high strength steel with box-shaped columns fabricated from cold-reduced high strength steel plates with nominal yield stress of 550 MPa in 0.42 and 0.60 mm thicknesses. The effect of the input parameters such as the degree of prescribed initial imperfection and the size of the element mesh on the convergence of the solution has been investigated and is discussed. The paper also shows the comparison of loads obtained numerically and experimentally with those predicted on the basis of AS/NZS4600 and the North American Specification. The accurate results of the numerical simulations show that the finite element analysis can be used to predict the ultimate loads of thin-walled members including the postbuckling behavior of thin-walled sections. It is demonstrated that the finite element analysis can therefore be used to design and optimize thin-walled sections of high strength steel.