Calculation of pure distortional elastic buckling loads of members subjected to compression via the finite element method

An analysis procedure is presented which allows to calculate pure distortional elastic buckling loads by means of the finite element method (FEM). The calculation is carried out using finite element models constrained according to uncoupled buckling deformation modes. The procedure consists of two steps: the first one is a generalised beam theory (GBT) analysis of the member cross-section, from which the constraints to apply to the finite element model are deduced; in the second step, a linear buckling analysis of the constrained FEM model is performed to determine the pure distortional loads. The proposed procedure is applied to thin-walled members with open cross-section, similar to those produced by cold-forming. The distortional loads obtained are rather accurate. They are in agreement with the loads given by GBT and the constrained finite strip method (cFSM).