Crippling Capacity of Web Elements with Openings

Commonly used cold-formed steel sections utilized as either wall studs or floor joists contain web holes. The web holes may be factory punched or field cut. Because the Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members does not address the potential impact that a web hole can have on the structural integrity of the cold-formed steel member, research was necessary. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Rolla have explored the behavior of a flexural member that possesses a web hole. The scope of the UMR research includes flexure, shear, web crippling, and combinations thereof. The present paper will summarize the findings and design recommendations pertaining to web crippling resulting from either end-one-flange or interior-one-flange loading. The research determined that the paramount factors influencing the web crippling behavior were the relationship between the hole depth and the depth of the web and the relationship between the distance from the edge of the bearing and the flat d...