TESTS OF PROFILED STEEL DECKS WITH V-STIFFENERS

The size and position of intermediate stiffeners in the compression flanges of thin-walled profiled steel decks exert a strong influence on the dominant buckling mode of the flange. The ability of the deck to provide both high load-carrying capacity before the onset of elastic buckling and a high ultimate-load capacity may therefore be affected. A program of tests to determine the effectiveness of intermediate stiffeners in controlling buckling modes is undertaken. A series of specimens are loaded in pure bending resulting in various buckling waveforms prior to ultimate failure through a plastic collapse mechanism. The experimentally determined buckling stresses are found to be comparable with studies performed using a finite-strip numerical analysis in which both local, and distortional buckling modes are predicted. A simplified design procedure for distortional buckling is proposed. The existing design procedure for local buckling in the Australian Standard AS1538-1988 is confirmed.