Eccentrically Loaded Steel Columns under Cyclic In-Plane Loading

This paper is aimed at investigating the ultimate strength and ductility capacity correlation between centrally loaded and eccentrically loaded steel columns subjected to cyclic transverse (horizontal) load at their top. The columns considered are of the box and pipe sections. A finite-element formulation accounting for both geometrical and material nonlinearity is developed to obtain the cyclic hysteretic behavior of the columns. In the analysis, a modified two-surface plasticity model is employed to model material nonlinearity. Based on the numerical results, the transverse load versus transverse displacement relationship between centrally and eccentrically loaded columns has been proposed. According to the proposed equations, the ultimate strength and ductility capacity of the eccentrically loaded columns can be conveniently obtained from those of the centrally loaded columns.