Advanced computational tools for elastic buckling analysis of cold-formed steel structures

In recent years, significant research has been performed in the field of computational modeling for cold-formed steel structures. This chapter covers the recent developments and applications of the elastic buckling analysis of cold-formed steel structures with a particular focus on numerical methods such as the finite element method, the finite strip method, the constrained finite strip method, the generalized beam theory, and the constrained finite element method. The available open-source programs based on finite strip, generalized beam, finite element method, and some other numerical methods are presented. The applications of these computational tools in design and other developments are illustrated in (1) The design of cold-formed members using the direct strength method; (2) Automated design of cold-formed member using the constrained finite strip method; and (3) Advanced development of modal identification of shell finite element method. In the end, remarks on the other resources and future development in computational modeling of elastic buckling analysis of cold-formed steel structures are provided.