Experimental and finite element study of profiled steel sheet dry board folded plate structures

Folded plate structures constructed with profiled steel sheering connected to dry boards by self drilling, self tapping screws (known as the PSSDB sys tem) are being proposed as an alternative to traditional forms of roof cons truction. This paper describes the analysis, testing, and the structural be haviour of such kind of structures. The proposed efficient and load bearing structural system consists of an assembly of individual PSSDB panels conne cted by steel angle plates at the ridges, formed to the required shape, wid th and span. An analytical model using finite element method has been propo sed. The profiled steel sheeting was idealised as an equivalent homogeneous orthotropic thin shell plate elements of constant thickness. Two direction al plate elements were proposed in modelling the connection between profile d steel sheeting and dry board to include biaxial shear deformation. The pr oposed analytical method has been used to analyse the results of Full-scale folded plate PSSDB tests and is found to give good results. (C) 2000 Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.