[en] The cross-sectional behaviour of steel sections can be shown to be influenced by two extreme behaviors: the resistance and the instability. These boundaries are accounted for in current standards through a classification system consisting on rules depending on the cross-section dimensions. For example, in EN 1993-1-1, classes are defined spanning from stocky sections (class 1) able to develop their full plastic capacity, to slender sections (class 4) for which the effective properties are used with the use of the effective width method (EWM). However, for cold-formed steel sections, characterized by a non-linear material law, the cross-section resistance can go beyond its plastic capacity due to strain hardening effects. Moreover, with the emergence of high strength steel (i.e. cross-sections falling into class 4) and more complex cross-section shapes, the effective width method is becoming too complicated. Many other reasons and discrepancies are making the cross-section classification too complex and inconsistent.
The Overall Interaction Concept (OIC) stands as a new design approach that aims at a straightforward design check of the stability and resistance of steel cross-sections. Based on the use of a generalized relative slenderness and so-called interaction curves, it can be applied to any type of cross-section, further includes potential non-linear material behaviour and covers combined loading cases. The main aim of this thesis is to develop and propose OIC interaction curves dedicated to steel hollow sections subjected to various load cases.
A test program was carried out as a part of a European project named ‘HOLLOPOC’ to investigate the cross-sectional behavior of cold-formed hot-finished and hot-rolled square, rectangular and circular sections. 57 cross-sections tests including simple and combined load cases were performed. Besides, a finite element model was developed and calibrated on the basis of the tests, and its accuracy was seen to be sufficient to subsequently undergo an extensive numerical parametric study for hot-rolled and cold-formed cross-sections, leading to over than 40 000 numerical results. Based on these computations, design proposals were made within the context of the Overall Interaction Concept, using an extension of the Ayrton-Perry approach. Finally, a validation of the proposed formulae was made through a comparison with existing approach and worked examples were presented, in order to illustrate (i) the application of the method and (ii) its benefits in comparison to application of current EC3 rules.
