THE POST-BUCKLED BEHAVIOR IN THIN-WALLED CONSTRUCTION AND ITS PARTIAL "EROSION" UNDER REPEATED LOADING

Abstract

There are two ways to make steel construction more competitive: (i) to save steel (via thin-walled structures) and (ii) to save fabrication costs (via economic-fabrication structures). The authors' studies on post-buckled behavior in thin-walled construction and its partial "erosion" under many times repeated loading are described. S–N curves are established by the authors based on their numerous tests, such as to be used in the design of webs breathing under repeated loading. A reduction of some fabrication procedures as a way to economic-fabrication construction is discused, e.g. the possibility to avoid straightening of plate elements involved. Formulae for a user-friendly design of the webs of economic-fabrication steel girders, such as to make it possible to disregard their breathing, are also presented.