Flexural behavior of cold-formed steel Z-purlin overlapped connections

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2025

Abstract

This research presents a novel investigation into the structural performance of cold-formed steel (CFS) overlapped purlin connections under monotonic loading, addressing a gap in understanding their moment capacity and optimizing connection configurations. A combined experimental and numerical approach was employed to evaluate the influence of overlap length and bolt placement on connection strength. Three experimental programs were conducted, each examining a specimen setup with high-strength bolts (grade 8.8, 12 mm diameter) connecting Z-section purlins. The tests were performed under continuous support conditions spanning 1500 mm. Finite element modeling was performed using shell elements and mesh-independent, point-based fasteners to validate experimental results, achieving a discrepancy of less than 5 %. Results indicated that increasing the overlap length-to-span ratio (Lp/S) from 0.2 to 0.67 significantly improved the negative moment capacity—by 36.3 % using web bolts, 35.8 % using flange bolts, and 35 % with both. Notably, configurations with bolts in both the web and flange exhibited the highest strength. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing purlin connections in lightweight steel construction, enhancing structural efficiency and design reliability in industrial and commercial applications.

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