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Axial capacity of face-to-face built-up aluminium alloy columns: Numerical simulation and design proposal
Abstract
In recent years, aluminum alloy has seen increased use in construction due to its exceptional corrosion resistance and mechanical strength, especially in structural elements like channel sections, hollow pipes, and angles. Cold-formed aluminum alloy face-to-face (CAAFTF) built up channel sections with web holes or without web holes have emerged as a significant development in the construction industry, focusing on streamlining the installation of plumbing and electrical services as well as Glass walls in front of buildings. Previous research indicated that these aluminum alloy sections were studied on bending capacity with web holes and found the bending modified formula for plain webs as well as the web with perforated sections. However, no comprehensive study has been reported in the literature for such aluminum alloy built up face to face columns subjected to compression.
This study investigates the axial compression behaviour of aluminium alloy columns with perforated webs, focusing on the influence of screws and perforations on axial capacity. A numerical analysis was conducted on screw-fastened, perforated, face-to-face built-up aluminium alloy channel sections under axial compression. The finite element (FE) model developed using abaqus was validated against 29 experimental results from the literature. The validated nonlinear elasto-plastic FE model was then extended to analyse 495 parametric FE models to examine the effects of key parameters, including modified slenderness, screw number, number of web holes, hole diameter, and section thickness, on the axial strength.
The parametric analysis revealed a reduction in axial strength by approximately 8% for every 0.2 increment in the diameter-to-web width ratio (a/h). Axial strength results from experimental tests and FE analysis were compared with current design guidelines in the Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS 4600). The analysis showed that AS/NZS design strengths were overestimated by 15% for single perforated webs and underestimated strengths by 12% for multiple perforated web sections but AS/NZS estimation for plain section is more closely match with experimental results.
A new strength reduction factor equation was developed for aluminium alloy face-to-face built-up channel sections with single and multiple perforated webs. Reliability analysis confirmed the accuracy of the proposed equation, which is applicable within specific limits of slenderness ratio, web width-to-length ratio, and web width-to-thickness ratio. The findings indicate that introducing perforations reduces the axial capacity of plain sections by 8% to 16% for single and multiple perforated webs, respectively. This study provides valuable insights for the design and optimization of aluminium alloy built-up sections with perforated webs.
Type
Thesis
Type of thesis
Series
Citation
Date
2025-03-25
Publisher
The University of Waikato
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