Lateral Buckling Tests on Coped Steel Beams

Very little experimental data are available regarding lateral buckling of coped beams. In order to investigate and understand their behavior, six lateral buckling tests were conducted on a W12×14 section with different coping details. The results of each test are compared with a finite element computer solution and a proposed design method. Other available test results are also used in the comparison. Results of the tests indicate that the reduction in buckling load due to coping can be very significant depending upon the coping details. It is also found that the adjacent span restraint can increase the buckling load of coped beams significantly. The computer solutions agree with the test results both in buckling loads and buckled shapes. Comparison also indicates that the design method proposed is conservative.