Flexural buckling behaviour of stainless steel open section columns

• Main Author: Chong, Emily Yui Chian
• Other Authors: Zhao Ou
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Engineering::Civil engineering::Structures and design
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/138495
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

An experimental study on the strength resistance and minor-axis flexural buckling behaviour of austenitic stainless steel open section columns had been conducted in this paper. Tests were performed on three types of hot-rolled angle section and two types of press-braked channel section, amounting to a total of 24 pin-ended column test about the minor principal axis. The acquired results included the ultimate failure loads and corresponding mid-height lateral deflections at ultimate loads. Supplementary initial geometric imperfection measurements of the column specimens were also recorded. The results were contrasted with relevant design standards to examine their reliability for columns with non-dimensional slenderness under 2.0. For angle sections, it was revealed that predicted design strength by the European code was relatively accurate while predictions by the American design guide were conservative but scattered. For channel sections, results showed that the European code and American specifications were inconsistent and had some tendency to under-predict flexural buckling strength resistance, especially for columns with low dimensional slenderness. On the contrary, the Australian/ New Zealand standard was unduly conservative but reliable. Finally, a new design proposal was suggested via modifications to the Eurocode design rules that offered reduced unsafe predictions whilst having slight improvements in accuracy.