Finite element analysis for local stability of thin-walled box section

In view of the problem how to calculate the local stability on the structure of thin-walled box section, the finite element analysis was carried out with ANSYS package as tool in this paper. Considering the cross-section as a whole, a parametric finite element model and the parametric optimization model for the local stability calculation of the box section were established. Taking a rectangular cross-section as an example, its critical stress was calculated, and the result coincides with that from the analytic method. The increase degree in the critical stress that the rectangular cross-section is transformed into the hexagonal cross-section was obtained by another calculation. The local stability of a dodecagonal cross-section structure was also analyzed. The method given by this paper can applied to the calculation of the local stability on the many sorts of cross-section shape, which has practical reference for the design of the thin-walled box section structure.