Flexural behavior of cold formed steel with and without lips: a theoretical, experimental and numerical study of “Hat” and “Z” sections

Cold-formed steel members (CFSM) are commonly utilized in construction because of their lightweight characteristics, favorable engineering features, and cost efficiency. This study examined the flexural characteristics of two different CFSM shapes, HAT and Z sections, with and without lips. The study involved experimental testing, theoretical analysis, and numerical modeling with ANSYS software. The test specimens were loaded vertically, while the lateral deflections were unrestrained, which enabled flexural buckling. The primary goal was to ascertain the failure loads and processes of these beams and evaluate their overall structural performance. The study results indicated that HAT and Z sections lacking lips failed because of local buckling and lateral-torsional buckling. On the other hand, HAT and Z sections with lips showed notably greater failure loads.