Columns with Random Imperfections and Associated Bracing Requirements

Abstract

The imperfections in the form of initial displacement in structural columns are important factors to be reckoned with. To investigate the effect of imperfections and to obtain the results of general valadity, imperfections in columns should be considered as random in nature. In this paper, the effect of imperfection on column behavior and load carrying capacity is examined. The imperfections are modeled by a stochastically stationary random process with a known autocorrelation function. The results for the expected reduction in column capacity and the bending moments due to imperfection are obtained. The problem of lateral bracings, provided in columns to prevent buckling in their weaker planes and thereby increase their load carrying capacities, is also examined probabilistically: the effect of random initial displacements on the strength and stiffness requirements of a bracing is investigated.