Review article

The paper considers the stability of rod elements of steel structures with axis curvature and local damage. The problem is solved by the inverse numerical-analytical method, which uses an unrestricted elastic model of the element with equivalent loading by fictitious forces that take into account physical nonlinearity and generalized damage in the form of a notch. in this case, the initial curvature of the axis is replaced by an equivalent eccentricity of the longitudinal force.On the example of calculation of an i-beam element of column type it is shown that the damage located in the most stressed zone significantly reduces the stability.Thus, at weakening of the flange by 7.4% and 11.1% of the total section area, the stability is reduced by 16.0%...23.4%, which is 1.5...2.2 times more than the area of weakening.