Improved design format for doubly symmetric thin-walled structural steel beam-columns

Abstract

An existing design format for doubly symmetric cold-formed structural steel beam-columns was probabilistically assessed and modified to offer a consistent reliability level. Using the First-Order Reliability Method (FORM) and Value Analysis (VA) a target reliability level for the current design format was established to be 4.265. The proposed format is built on reduced load factors for imposed and dead loads as well as a sectional resistance factor which is related to the slenderness parameter of the structural element in place of the conventional single value.


(Botswana Journal of Technology: 2003 12(1): 36-43)