Numerical Modeling of Stainless Steel Structural Components—A Consistent Approach

Abstract

This paper describes numerical modeling of the structural response of stainless steel hollow sections. The aim of the investigation was to develop a consistent approach to the modeling of stainless steel structures. The developed FE models are more sophisticated than any other reported attempts to model stainless steel structural behavior, with general expressions defined for material stress-strain behavior, enhanced strength corner properties, initial geometric imperfection modes and amplitudes (local and global), and residual stresses. The general expressions define a consistent means of describing the key input parameters. A compound (two-stage) Ramberg-Osgood model is developed to describe stainless steel material stress-strain behavior in tension and compression. For the prediction of enhanced strength corner properties, a simple, though accurate model is proposed. Characterization of local plate imperfection amplitudes is described whereby a model originally devised for hot-rolled carbon steel cross-sections was re-calibrated and applied to stainless steel cross-sections. Numerical prediction of the key performance measures from tests is achieved with a high degree of accuracy: On average, ultimate load was predicted to within 3% and with a low standard deviation; deformation at ultimate load was within 6%, but exhibited a higher standard deviation; and the general form of the load-deformation response and the failure modes were similar.

Experimental study of the shear response of lean duplex stainless steel plate girders

“…The modified Riks method [22], which is an algorithm that enables effective solutions to be found to unstable problems and adequately traces nonlinear unloading paths, was used in the nonlinear analyses. The imperfection amplitude employed in this study was the one derived from the Dawson and Walker model [25], as modified by Gardner and Nethercot [26], defined by Eq. (3), where σ 0.2 is the tensile 0.2% proof stress and σ cr is the elastic critical buckling stress of the most slender constituent plate element in the section, determined on the basis of the flat width of the element.…”

Flexural behaviour of stainless steel oval hollow sections

“…The material properties obtained from stub columns include the presence of both membrane and bending residual stresses, though their influence will vary under different loading conditions. Residual stresses were therefore not explicitly included in the numerical models in this investigation; a similar approach has been successfully followed in previous studies [18,42].…”

Comparative experimental study of hot-rolled and cold-formed rectangular hollow sections

“…Direct comparisons between hot-rolled and cold-formed structural steel sections are relatively scarce, but many of the above properties have been studied in hot-rolled steel sections [5][6][7], cold-formed steel sections [8][9][10][11] and cold-formed stainless steel sections [12][13][14][15]. The influence of different production routes on the behaviour of structural carbon steel [16] and structural stainless steel [17][18][19] members, which tend to display a more pronounced response to cold-work, has also been investigated.…”