This paper summarizes results from an experimental program designed to
evaluate the tension-compression cyclic axial response of cold-formed steel Csection
structural framing members. A new cyclic loading protocol for coldformed
steel members is presented that defines the target axial displacement
based on elastic buckling parameters. The protocol is used to explore the cyclic
response of members experiencing local buckling, distortional buckling, and
global buckling deformation. In the experiments, post-bucking energy
dissipation was observed along with tension stretching and softening. The
quantity of dissipated energy per cycle increased as cross-section and global
slenderness decreased. Specimens experiencing local and distortional buckling
dissipated more energy per half-wavelength than those experiencing global
buckling.
