Effect of Lateral Load on Local Buckling of Latex Wrapped Cold Formed Steel Columns.

This paper reports the experimental investigation conducted on unwrapped and latex wrapped cold-formed steel column. Various column cross-sections are subjected to repeated lateral loading till failure. All the columns were observed to fail in local buckling. The column cross-section dimension, provision of interior and exterior lip, and the latex wrapping of the columns influenced the lateral load to failure. Increasing the web length of a column section from 100 to 200 mm increased the load-carrying capacity of the column by 70 to 100 %. The local buckling was initiated in the flange portion of the column. The column section with no lip and interior lip exhibited inward buckling of the flange. The column with exterior lip exhibited outward buckling. The provision of lip and latex wrapping did not influence the initial loaddisplacement behavior of the columns. However, it increased the load-carrying capacity of the sections. Energy absorption index and ductility factor were calculated and the effect of latex wrapping of the columns on these parameters was evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]