Investigation of Local Buckling Loads of Cold-Formed Steel Channel Sections with Eccentric Web Holes Under Compression

Thin-walled steel sections with perforations are widely used for technical installation requirements, but their structural capacities are reduced due to the presence of perforations. These reductions are addressed in the American Specification through the Direct Strength Method (DSM), a modern approach for designing cold-formed steel sections. The DSM allows for the prediction of strengths of perforated sections by utilising elastic buckling loads, with this analysis being a necessary component for its application. Currently, design guidelines apply to thin-walled sections with concentric web holes, and elastic buckling analyses are typically based on this configuration. Web holes, however, are often drilled eccentrically due to technical constraints; and this can alter the strengths and behaviors of such steel members. This paper therefore investigates the impact of eccentric web holes on local buckling loads of thin-walled sections due to compression. The THIN-WALL-2 software package will be used for the elastic buckling analysis. The investigated results will demonstrate the reduction in local buckling loads for sections with eccentric holes compared to concentric ones. This will be the foundation for further research to provide design recommendations.