Experimental Investigation of Lateral Torsional Buckling of Gerber Frames

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the elastic lateral buckling resistance of Gerber frames based on full scale tests and finite element analyses. Three experiments were undertaken to obtain elastic buckling loads and the buckling modes were recorded. Shell finite element solutions were conducted to predict the elastic lateral buckling resistance of the frames tested. A comparison between the elastic buckling loads obtained from full scale experiments and those predicted by the FEA models provides an assessment of the ability of the finite element analysis model in predicting elastic lateral resistance and buckled mode shapes of Gerber frames. Conclusions and recommendations for future research are provided.