TABLE OF CONTENTS Don S. Wolford
Consulting Engineer
Middletown, Ohio
Wei-Wen Yu
University of Missouri-Rolla
Rolla, Missouri
The term cold-formed steel construction, as used in this section, refers to structural components that are made of flat-rolled steel. This section deals with fabricated components made from basic forms of steel, such as bars, plates, sheet, and strip.
Cold-formed shapes usually imply relatively small, thin sections made by bending sheet or strip steel in roll-forming machines, press brakes, or bending brakes. Because of the relative ease and simplicity of the bending operation and the comparatively low cost of forming rolls and dies, the cold-forming process lends itself well to the manufacture of unique shapes for special purposes and makes it possible to use thin material shaped for maximum stiffness.
The use of cold-formed shapes for ornamental and other non-load-carrying purposes is commonplace. Door and window frames, metal-partition work, non-load-bearing studs, facing, and all kinds of ornamental sheet-metal work employ such shapes. The following deals with cold-formed shapes used for structural purposes in the framing of buildings.
There is no standard series of cold-formed structural sections, such as those for hot-rolled shapes, yet although groups of such sections have been designed ("Cold-formed Steel Design Manual," American Iron and Steel Institute, 1101 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036). For the most part, however, cold-formed structural shapes are designed to serve a particular purpose. The general approach of the designer is therefore similar to that involved in the design of built-up structural sections.
Cold-formed shapes...
