LOCAL BUCKLING OF THIN-WALLED CIRCULAR STEEL SECTIONS WITH OR WITHOUTINTERNAL RESTRAINT

In this paper, a comprehensive series of tests is described and presen ted. The tests were performed to examine the behaviour of short thin-w alled circular steel tubes with or without internal restraint. The tub es had diameter-to-thickness ratios of between 55 and 200 and a length -to-diameter ratio of 3.5. The tests included bare steel tubes loaded both axially and at small eccentricities, and axially loaded steel tub es with an internal restraint medium. The material properties have bee n measured including residual stresses and geometric imperfections. Th e test strengths have been compared to strength models in design stand ards and specifications. Recommendations for design have been made. (C ) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.