Review article

There has been carried out an improvement of the methodology for determination of reduced sections with the simultaneous action of the entire complex of efforts (including bimoment ones).The solution presented in dimensionless parameters uses the «Section» algorithm and the EUROCODE provisions regarding section reduction. At the beginning, a general dimensionless parameter of efforts is determined, which corresponds to the limiting conditions for ensuring the local stability and section shape. Then, as the specified parameter grows further, the development of the section reduction to the limiting state is considered. As this takes place, the reduced sections are replaced with unreduced ones with loading with fictitious forces that compensate for the reduction. The authors propose a high-speed method for determining the local stability loss coefficients and the cross-sectional shape in dimensionless parameters, which allows obtaining more reliable results of strength control in comparison with those included in the current regulatory literature. The method is illustrated using calculation examples with comparison of the EUROCODE results, which have shown quite significant discrepancies.