Structural performance of stainless steel oval hollow sections

Stainless steel is gaining increasing usage in the construction industry and tubular members represent the most widely used structural component. Cold-formed square, rectangular and circular hollow sections are readily available in stainless steel, and more recently, oval hollow sections have been introduced. Oval hollow sections are not currently included in structural design codes, neither for carbon steel nor stainless steel. This paper describes recent tests and finite element modelling performed on stainless steel oval hollow sections in compression and bending. A total of six stub column tests, six in-plane bending tests and eight column buckling tests are reported. Tests have been performed about both the major and minor axes. The results of the tests have been analysed and comparisons have been made with the structural performance of hot-rolled carbon steel elliptical hollow sections. Design rules including cross-section slenderness limits and a column buckling curve have been proposed, and progress towards the development of comprehensive design rules for stainless steel oval hollow sections is reported.