Optimum design and imperfection-sensitivity of centrally compressed SHS and CHS aluminium struts

A numerical comparison of the optimal solutions obtained without and with the consideration of initial imperfections of aluminium SHS struts shows that the imperfection sensitivity of optimal solution considering the initial imperfections is much smaller than that obtained using buckling formulae which do not consider the initial imperfections. Thus, the buckling formulae given by BS 8118 can be used for optimum design of compressed aluminium SHS and CHS struts. Using a computer method some optimum design results are given for two aluminium alloys and different effective length factors.