Distortional Buckling of Cold-formed Steel Sections Subjected To Uniformly Distributed Transverse Loading

This paper presents an investigation on the influence of stress gradient on the elastic critical stress of distortional buckling of cold-formed steel sections supporting wall sheeting or roof cladding in buildings. The critical stress of distortional buckling of cold-formed steel section beams subjected to a uniformly distributed transverse loading is calculated using the model proposed recently by Li and Chen. The sections investigated in the paper include channel, zed, and sigma sections. Numerical examples are provided that highlight the influence of stress gradient, section dimensions, and sheeting lateral restraints on the critical stress of distortional buckling.