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Plate girders are widely used as structural members in the steel construction industry because of their ability to support heavy loads over long spans. Therefore, it is very important to know their behaviour under different conditions. For material efficiency, plate girders usually have slender webs when compared to the ones on commercial hot rolled profiles, making them prone to the occurrence of shear buckling. In case of fire, shear buckling may be precipitated due to the reduction of the steel mechanical properties caused by the elevated temperatures. Regarding the resistance determination, numerical simulation has been gaining an edge on experimental analysis over the past years, mainly due to the high cost of the fire resistance experimental tests. However, the numerical models must be properly validated in order to perform reliable numerical studies. With this purpose, as no experimental tests in stainless steel plate girders subjected to elevated temperatures were found, a total of 34 experimental tests at normal temperature have been numerically modelled. The tested stainless steel plate girders had different configurations, provided with transversal and longitudinal stiffeners. Comparative analyses between those experimental and numerical results have been done. Afterwards, the developed numerical model has been used to perform a sensitivity analysis on the influence of the initial geometric imperfections at both normal and elevated temperatures, considering different values for its amplitudes. The effect of the residual stresses has also been analysed at normal temperature and in case of fire. Finally, comparisons between the numerical results and the Eurocode 3 design procedures have been performed.

The main goal of this study is to increase the knowledge on the behaviour of steel plate girders subjected to shear buckling at both normal and elevated temperatures. Hence, numerical models were duly validated with experimental tests from the literature. Experimental tests on steel plate girders with different configurations were numerically reproduced, showing a good agreement between numerical and experimental results. Afterwards, applying the validated numerical models, sensitivity analyses on the influence of initial imperfections were performed. Different values for the maximum amplitude of geometric imperfections were considered and residual stresses were also taken into account. Finally, the effect of the end supports configuration was also studied aiming to understand the strength enhancement given by the rigid end support at normal temperature and evaluating if that strength enhancement is maintained in case of fire.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

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