Test investigation and direct strength method on cold-formed steel compression members with web holes of different widths

•Tests on the compressive behaviors of cold-formed steel (CFS) compression members with web holes of different widths.•The finite element (FE) analyses on CFS compression members with different parameters.•The hole impact coefficient formulas on the proportional relationships between the ultimate bearing capacities of CFS compression members with web holes and that without web holes were developed.•The simpler DSM formulas of CFS compression members with web holes were proposed, in which the elastic critical buckling stress of CFS compression members with web holes was not necessary to be calculated.