Experimental investigation of Gerber frames subjected to elastic lateral torsional buckling

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the full scale experimental as well as software analysis investigation of Gerber frames subjected to elastic lateral torsional buckling (LTB). To understand the elastic buckling load, three experiments were undertaken and recorded the buckling modes. To predict the elastic LTB resistance, shell finite element (FE) solution was conducted. A comparison is made among the experimental elastic buckling load and results obtained by FE model for Gerber frames. A good agreement is observed between experimental and finite element analysis.

KEYWORDS:

• Experimental investigation
• FEA
• elastic buckling load
• buckling modes
• LTB resistance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.