Interactive Local Instability of Aluminium Angles

A theoretical approach for the evaluation of the ultimate resistance of aluminium angles subjected to local buckling under uniform compression is presented and compared with simplified approaches used for codification purposes. In particular, a theoretical procedure has been developed by considering the interaction of the outstand elements constituting the cross-section and the mechanical non-linearity of the material. To evaluate the accuracy of the theoretical approach, the results have been compared with experimental tests provided in the scientific literature. Then, a new mathematical formulation has been also derived to estimate the interaction effects of the section plates and it has been used for the extension of the Effective Thickness Method (ETM) according to the new version of Eurocode 9. Finally, the accuracy of simplified approaches as well is investigated by comparing the obtained values with the experimental results derived from the stub column tests reported in the scientific literature.