Inelastic experiments on angle and tee struts

An experimental investigation into the inelastic buckling of axially loaded pin-ended single angle, tee, and double angle struts is described. A total of 54 struts with modified slenderness ranging from 0·33 to 1·08 were tested. Specially designed supports allowed the end cross-sections to rotate about the major and minor axes, but prevented twisting about the longitudinal axis. All struts failed in the inelastic range by excessive bending and twisting. The experimental results are compared with theoretical predictions and with other test results. It is shown that the relevant design rules in the current Australian Standard AS 1250-1981 and the AISC Specification are satisfactory for single and double angle struts, but are slightly unconservative for tee struts. Experimental results are compared with the SSRC multiple column curves. It is recommended that Curve 2 be adopted for single and double angle struts and Curve 3 for tee struts.