Plastic Mechanisms for Thin-Walled Cold-Formed Steel Members in Eccentric Compression

The Eurocode 3 concerning thin-walled steel members divides members subjected to compression into four classes, considering their ductility. The representatives of the class C4 are short bars, for which the load-capacity corresponds to the maximum compression stresses less than the yield stress. There are bars prone to local buckling in the elastic range and they do not have a real post-elastic capacity. The failure at ultimate stage of such members, either in compression or bending, always occurs by forming a local plastic mechanism. This fact suggests the possibility to use the local plastic mechanism to characterise the ultimate strength of such members. The present paper is based on previous studies and some latest investigations of the authors, as well as the literature collected data. It represents an attempt to study the plastic mechanisms for members in eccentric compression about minor axis and the evolution of plastic mechanisms, considering several types of lipped channel sections.