The details of a research study of galvanized steel tube under web crippling were presented. A total of 48 galvanized steel square hollow sections with different boundary conditions, loading conditions, bearing lengths and web slenderness were tested. The experimental scheme, failure modes, load-displacement curves and strain intensity distribution curves were also presented. The investigation was focused on the effects of loading condition, bearing length and slenderness on web crippling ultimate capacity, initial compressive stiffness and ductility of galvanized steel tube. The results show that web crippling ultimate capacity increases linearly with the increase of the bearing length under EOF and IOF loading condition. In the end-flange and ITF loading conditions, strain intensity of the centerline of web reaches the peak and decreases progressively from central web to flanges. Finite element models were developed to numerically simulate the tests in terms of failure modes and ultimate capacity. Web crippling strength of galvanized steel tube increases linearly with the increase of the ratio of the bearing length to web thickness and decrease of web slenderness. The effect of ratio of galvanized layer thickness to web thickness on web crippling strength is small. Based on the results of the parametric study, a number of calculation formulas proposed in this work can be successfully employed as a design rule for predicting web crippling ultimate capacity of galvanized steel tube under four loading and boundary conditions.
