Local buckling and axial compressive behavior of stainless-clad bimetallic steel-plate composite walls

Abstract

This study investigated the local buckling and axial compressive behavior of stainless-clad bimetallic steel-plate composite (SC) walls. Stainless-clad bimetallic steel is a high-performance steel that combines the merits of both the substrate and cladding materials, showing good mechanical properties. An experimental database was compiled to evaluate the effect of normalized faceplate slenderness ratio on the local buckling and axial compressive behavior of SC walls. Experimental investigations were conducted on six stainless-clad bimetallic steel-plate composite walls with parameter of normalized faceplate slenderness ratios. Finite element models were developed and benchmarked for parametric studies. Test results and finite element analysis results were incorporated into the database. The enhanced database were utilized to evaluate the application of the current design provisions in calculating the axial compressive strength. It was found that CECS:546–2018, Eurocode 4, and AISC 360–22 cannot provide reasonable estimation of axial compression strength. Finally, a simplified equation was suggested for estimating the axial compressive strength of SC walls. The design method was conservative for both non-slender and slender steel faceplates.