Elastic Local Buckling of I-Sections under Axial Compression Incorporating Web–Flange Interaction

The local buckling of I-section columns is investigated in this paper, where the interaction between the web and flanges is taken into account. An analytical method is first developed based on the classical theory of the elastic buckling of thin plates, with which the main parameters affecting the interaction between the web and flanges are analyzed. The interactive behaviors of the buckling deformations of the I-section with different parameters are then revealed by employing finite element analyses. Simple approximate solutions for the buckling coefficients of the web and flanges are proposed using the energy method, which is capable of providing very accurate predictions compared to the analytical results. Using the simple solutions for buckling coefficients, the limits for the width-to-thickness ratio of I-section columns are proposed. Comparisons between the existing solutions and provisions in design codes indicate that the proposed limits for width-to-thickness ratio are capable of precisely considering the web–flange interaction at the local buckling of I-section columns.

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