Patch-loading resistance of QN1803 and S32001 high-strength stainless steel plate girders: Experimental study and numerical simulation

Abstract

High-strength stainless steel is a promising structural material due to its outstanding strength and greater corrosion resistance, which is developed by the steel industry recently. One of the potential engineering applications is the crane girders in which the load travels along a girder. Such thin-walled plate girders are more susceptible to experiencing the patch-loading buckling induced by moving load. However, existing studies have not yet reported the patch-loading resistance of such plate girders manufactured from high-strength stainless steel, laying considerable barriers for engineering application. This issue is addressed herein. An experimental program was conducted and a total of 16 results acquired from patch-loading tests were reported in this investigation. Two commonly used high-strength stainless steel QN1803 and S32001 were examined. Variables which were experimentally examined included the bearing length, aspect ratio, and web height-to-thickness ratio. The initial geometric imperfections were obtained from three-dimensional (3D) scanning prior to the patch-loading tests. Considering the material nonlinearity and initial geometrical imperfections, a series of finite element models were established, and their accuracy was validated using the test results presented by other researchers and the authors. To evaluate the existing design specifications, the obtained test results were further used to evaluate the design methods outlined in Chinese code (GB 50017) (2017), European code (EN 1993-1-4) (2006) and American Specification (ANSI/AISC 370-21) (2021). Upon analysis, it was shown that the existing design specifications were inadequate for producing accurate predictions for determining the patch-loading resistance of such members.