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

Abstract

An experimental and numerical study of the shear response of lean duplex stainless steel plate girders is described in this paper. A total of nine welded plate girders were tested. Lean duplex stainless steel, which is a low nickel variety of the material, has approximately twice the strength of the common austenitic grades and at approximately half the initial cost. It also possesses good corrosion resistance and high temperature properties, as well as adequate weldability and fracture toughness. Two web panel aspect ratios and a range of web slendernesses were considered. The results from the experiments, including the full load-deformation histories and failure models are reported. A numerical investigation was carried out in parallel with the testing. The models were first validated against the experimental results after which parametric studies were performed to generate data for a wider range of cross-sections. The generated experimental and numerical data were used to assess the shear resistance design equations given in Eurocode 3: Part 1.4. The current design provisions were shown to be safely applicable to lean duplex stainless steel, though improved guidance is sought in further ongoing research. Saliba, N. and Gardner, L. (2013). Experimental study of the shear response of lean duplex stainless steel plate girders. Engineering Structures. 46,[375][376][377][378][379][380][381][382][383][384][385][386][387][388][389][390][391]

Cross-section stability of lean duplex stainless steel welded I-sections

“…The measured 0.2% proof stresses from the longitudinal coupon tests were found to be lower than those stated in the mill certificates -this may be attributed to the difference in testing direction and higher strain rates typically employed in mill tests. The results obtained from the compressive coupon tests in the transverse direction, which have been observed to be similar to the transverse tensile properties in previous studies [15], were generally in a good agreement with those given in the mill certificates. The mean measured values of the Ramberg-Osgood n and n' 0.2,1.0 parameters for the tested plate material were 10.0 and 2.0 respectively with some variation depending on rolling and loading direction; this compares to corresponding values of 7.0 and 3.3 for cold-formed lean duplex stainless steel hollow sections [5,6], which indicate that the cold-formed material has a more rounded stress-strain response.…”

Local–overall interactive buckling of welded stainless steel box section compression members

“…The widely adopted shell element with reduced integration, S4R, was used to mesh the box section columns. This element has been successfully used in numerical modelling of welded stainless steel sections [34] and the buckling response of structural stainless steel components [35,36].…”

Numerical Modelling of Lean Duplex Stainless Steel and Assessment of Existing Design Methods

“…It is therefore the aim of this present study to continue the research on lean duplex stainless steel welded I-sections initiated by Saliba and Gardner (2013a;2013b) -a summary of their main findings is presented in the relevant subsections of the literature review. This paper provides a detailed description of the numerical programme carried out to gather further data on LDSS welded I-sections.…”

“…Finally, design recommendations are made based on the reported data in the literature. (Saliba and Gardner, 2013b) …”