Design and tests of cold-formed stainless steel sections subjected to concentrated bearing load

Abstract

The chapter presents a series of tests on cold-formed stainless steel square and rectangular hollow sections subjected to concentrated bearing load. The chapter examines the appropriateness of web crippling design rules in the current specifications for stainless steel square and rectangular hollow sections that are tested differently from the four loading conditions specified in the specifications. A series of tests on cold formed stainless steel square and rectangular hollow sections is conducted under end loading and interior loading using the same test setup as Zhao and Hancock and Young and Hancock. The test specimens consist of high strength—austenitic and duplex— defined as high strength specimens in the chapter. The web crippling test strengths are compared with the design strengths obtained using the American, Australian/New Zealand, and European specifications for stainless steel structures. The test strengths are also compared with the design strengths obtained using a unified equation specified in the North American Specification for cold-formed carbon steel structural members. This unified web crippling equation for cold formed carbon steel is developed by Prabakaran and Schuster and Beshara and Schuster. A unified web crippling equation with new coefficients for cold-formed stainless steel square and rectangular hollow sections subjected to concentrated bearing load that simulate a floor joist member is proposed in the chapter.