Behaviour of Cold‐formed Beam‐to‐Column Joints in Storage Rack Structure: Experimental Investigations

Abstract
The rack storage structure market is highly competitive, requiring thus structural design solutions that reduce overall weight. The use of cold‐formed profiles is usually adopted for sake of optimisation as the latter are lightweight and can be manufactured in any desired shape. Another potential improvement lies in considering the actual stiffness of beam‐to‐column joints, rather than assuming them as fully pinned as commonly adopted in the design process. But, considering both solutions requires the characterisation of joints made of thin‐walled cold‐formed profiles, for which EN1993‐1‐3:2024 does not provide any recommendation regarding the joint's stiffness. Also, even if relevant provisions are proposed in EN1993‐1‐8:2024, the latter are only applicable to plates thicker than 3 mm.
This paper presents the results of an experimental test campaign conducted on joints between a thin‐walled cold‐formed Σ‐shaped beam and a square hollow section column, tested in a single configuration commonly met in rack structures. The main objective is to characterize the joint properties to further assess the applicability of the component method provided in the current European standard.