Experiments on stainless steel hollow sections - Part 2: Member behaviour of columns and beams

A series of tests were performed on cold-formed austenitic stainless steel square, rectangular and circular hollow section (SHS, RHS and CHS, respectively) members. Twenty-two flexural buckling tests and nine 3-point bending tests were carried out. Measurements were taken of cross-section geometry, local and global initial geometric imperfections and material properties in tension and compression. Results from the tests, including full load-deformation histories are presented; these have served as a basis for calibration of numerical models and for the development and verification of a new approach to structural stainless steel design. The test results represent a major contribution to the pool of available test data for stainless steel structures. Combining these data with all previously available test results for stainless steel hollow section columns and beams in a comparison against strengths predicted by Eurocode 3: Part 1.4 shows, on average, that the Eurocode method is overly conservative. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.