Exploiting the special features of stainless steel in structural design

Publisher Summary This chapter outlines a new approach to structural stainless steel design, which is based on exploiting the full deformation capacity of cross-sections, by adopting a continuous method of cross-section classification and member design coupled with more accurate material modeling. It presents recently generated laboratory test results, and shows how they are used in combination with existing test data to validate the proposed method. Average design advantages of around 20–25% are achieved. Significant improvements in performance may be achieved by basing the structural design of stainless steel members on the actual material behavior (rather than assuming an analogy with carbon steel). New test data on local buckling and plate element behavior is generated. Additional member tests on beams and pin-ended long columns are conducted. Using a new proposed design approach, average improvements of around 20%, that still produce safe side predictions of test data, are achieved. It is envisaged that the proposed design method will be incorporated into future revisions of Eurocode 3, bringing greater efficiency to structural stainless steel design and promoting more widespread use of the material.