Behaviour of curved and continuous compression members

Several modern lightweight space structures utilize curved and continuous compression members, although the behaviour of these members is not well understood. In many cases, the members are subjected to eccentric loading, which creates another difficulty in predicting their behaviour. Understanding the behaviour of curved and continuous members is certainly essential for the accurate modelling of the structures that use them, and for the reliable prediction of their strength, ductility and overall performance. The generic study presented in this paper uses theoretical and nonlinear numerical analyses to quantify the effect of curvature, continuity and load eccentricity on the behaviour of compression members. The work, although fundamental in nature, is of significant benefit to practical designs involving curved compression members.