Test and design method for the buckling behaviors of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy columns with box-type and L-type sections under eccentric compression

In this study, a detailed experimental investigation of 29 extruded columns with box-type and L-type sections made of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy, was carried out to study the stability behavior of these columns when subjected to eccentric loads. Finite element (FE) models of all tested columns under eccentric loads were developed using the ABAQUS software package. The precision and utility of these FE models were verified by experimental data. Both the stability bearing capacity and deformation performance were evaluated. Using the proposed FE models, an extensive parametric study was performed to investigate the effects of section dimensions, slenderness ratio, and eccentricity on the stability bearing capacity of the eccentrically loaded columns. The test and parametric study results were compared to the design capacity predictions in the current Eurocode 9 and the Chinese Code for the Design of Aluminum Structures, GB 50429. It was found that the predicted stability bearing capacities in the two design codes was generally conservative for the eccentrically loaded columns made of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy. Several parameters of the design formulae from the Chinese Code were modified to predict the ultimate strength of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy columns more accurately.