Double corrugated profile’s effective area evaluation: FEM-based equivalent model and analytical study

Abstract

Double corrugated cold-formed steel arches, spanning 20–30 meters, are widely used as roofing systems in industrial buildings due to their structural efficiency and ease of on-site fabrication. These structures are manufactured in two steps: first, a steel sheet is cold roll-formed into a straight profile; second, the profile is bent into an arch shape with transverse corrugations. These corrugations affect the effective cross-sectional properties, which cannot be determined using conventional design codes. Determining the effective area experimentally or numerically is challenging due to the corrugations and the profile curvature. This study examines both effects on the effective cross-sectional area. The analysis proceeds in two phases: (1) the flat profile, obtained after roll-forming, is evaluated numerically via the Finite Element Method (FEM) and analytically following Eurocode 3; (2) the corrugated profile, formed after the final manufacturing step, is analysed numerically via FEM and analytically using orthotropic plate theory. The results are compared to determine the influence of the corrugations on the strength and behaviour of the original profile. FEM models are developed using 3D scanning to capture profile geometry before and after corrugation, combined with reverse engineering. The corrugated profile is analysed by FEM in two ways: i) under compressive loads, as commonly used in previous studies and ii) by developing an “idealized” straight corrugated model to accurately apply boundary conditions for pure axial compression and determine the effective area. Comparing both methods provides insight into the profile’s structural behaviour and effective area.