Teaching Research on the Course of Design of Steel Structures Based on Practical Tests: A Case Study on Design of Columns in China

As one of the most important course in the field of civil engineering, the “Design of Steel Structure” is attracting attentions from college teacher in China. The complex failure modes or buckling modes of steel components result in comprehending deviation of students between theoretical models and engineering practice. This paper proposes a teaching research on the course based on practical tests, and presents a case study on design of steel columns in China. The buckling modes and finial failure modes of the cold-formed steel (CFS) columns were visually shown in the tests, and they were compared to the theoretical presentations in textbooks. Besides, a standard testing-teaching procedure is also recommended for further teaching research for other course closed to the engineering practice.