Design Of Cold-formed Stainless Steel Research Articles

Numerical modelling and fire design of stainless steel hollow section columns

In this paper, the elevated temperature buckling performance and design of cold-formed square, rectangular and circular hollow section columns made of stainless steel is studied through a numerical modelling investigation. The finite element analysis software Abaqus was employed to perform the simulations, where the validity of the models was established by replicating the results of flexural buckling tests at both elevated and room temperatures from literature test programmes. In total, twelve square (SHS) and rectangular (RHS) hollow section columns tested at elevated temperature and eleven circular (CHS) hollow section columns tested at room temperature were simulated. Following this, a comprehensive numerical parametric investigation was performed to systematically assess the effect of variation of the governing parameters including the grade of stainless steel (austenitic, duplex and ferritic) and the elevated temperature member slenderness (λ‾θ = 0.1–2.0) for all considered cross-section shapes with the addition of the aspect ratio of the cross-section (h/b = 1.0 and 1.5) and the column axis of buckling (major and minor) for the SHS and RHS. The applicability and accuracy of the design methods recommended in EN 1993-1-2 and the Design Manual for Stainless Steel Structures were carefully assessed on the basis of the numerical flexural buckling performance results. New buckling formulations for the fire design of cold-formed stainless steel SHS/RHS and CHS columns were proposed, and their suitability was confirmed by means of reliability analysis.

Design of cold-formed stainless steel lipped channel sections with web openings subjected to web crippling under end-one-flange loading condition

This article presents a numerical investigation on the web crippling strength of cold-formed stainless steel lipped channel sections with circular web openings under end-one-flange loading condition. In order to take into account the influence of the circular web openings, a parametric study involving 1992 finite element analyses was performed, covering duplex EN1.4462, austenitic EN1.4404 and ferritic EN1.4003 stainless steel grades; from the results of the parametric study, strength reduction factor equations are proposed. The web crippling strengths predicted by the reduction factor equations are first compared to the strengths calculated using the equations recently proposed for cold-formed carbon steel lipped channel sections. It is demonstrated that the strength reduction factor equations proposed for cold-formed carbon steel are unconservative for the stainless steel grades by up to 7%. Unified strength reduction factor equations are then proposed that can be applied to all three stainless steel grades.

Revised ASCE specification for the design of cold-formed stainless steel structural members

Since the publication of the first edition of the AISI specification for the design of light gage cold-formed stainless steel structural members in 1968 [Specification for the design of light gage cold-formed stainless steel structural members. 1968 ed. American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI); 1968], cold-formed stainless steel members have been increasingly used in building construction and other structural applications due to their superior corrosion resistance, ease of maintenance, pleasing appearance, and high strength. In 1990, the first ASCE standard, ANSI/ASCE-8-90 [Specification for the design of cold-formed stainless steel structural members (ANSI/ASCE 8-90). American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); 1991], was published by the American Society of Civil Engineers to provide the LRFD and ASD criteria for the design of cold-formed stainless steel structural members. This ASCE Standard was revised in 2002 as SEI/ASCE 8-02 [Specification for the design of cold-formed stainless steel structural members (SEI/ASCE 8-02). American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); 2002]. The updated ASCE specification supersedes the 1990 edition of the specification. This paper reviews the background information for the development of the ASCE design standard and summarizes the revisions made in the updated specification. A design example of column section, utilizing the design requirements of the standard, is also presented in this paper. Specified design provisions for members and connections are briefly summarized herein. For details, see the ASCE publication [Specification for the design of cold-formed stainless steel structural members (SEI/ASCE 8-02). American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); 2002].