Stub column tests for racking design: Experimental testing, FE analysis and EC3

The Laboratory of Elasticity and Strength of Materials, in the School of Engineering of Barcelona (UPC), has gained a wide experience in pallet-rack testing in recent years. We have gathered a comprehensive set of experimental results from upright cross-sections subject to compression. Twenty different pallet-rack steel profiles have been tested. This information is valuable and allows us to evaluate different methods alternative to testing as a design option. In this paper, two alternative methods are considered: the analytical, by applying the European Standard EN 1993-1-3:2006/AC:2009; a traditional method, which involves the effective width determination for each part of the section subject to compression; and the numerical, by applying finite element analysis, including non-linear material and geometrical behaviour. The results of both methods are compared to the experimental ones. This research reveals that even though the European Standard EN 15512:2009 does only accept the experimental method for perforated sections, theses other two methods can give good accuracy, and be good tools in the stage of design and optimization.