An analytical model that describes a thin-walled I-section column under pure compression based on variational principles is presented. The Rayleigh–Ritz method is combined with continuous displacement functions to formulate the total potential energy that is minimized. A system of differential and integral equilibrium equations is formulated for the structural component for which numerical continuation reveals progressive cellular buckling (or snaking) arising from the nonlinear interaction between the weakly stable overall mode and the strongly stable local buckling mode. The resulting behaviour is highly unstable and is postulated to be highly sensitive to initial geometric imperfections.
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