Distortional buckling test for steel storage rack columns

Abstract

An investigation into the test method for distortional buckling of steel storage rack columns is presented. The main problem of the experimental method is to determine the length of the samples to be tested. The paper proposes to solve this problem by performing linear buckling analysis of the columns. Nowadays, linear buckling analysis can be easily carried out by practical designers with the help of newly developed programs based on the finite strip method and generalised beam theory. A simple test procedure is presented and validated in an experimental campaign on four different perforated rack columns. The tests also made it possible to observe the buckling behaviour of such columns, which involves a combination of different buckling modes.