FE RESEARCH ON THE OVERALL STABILITY OF STAINLESS-STEEL BEAM-COLUMNS AND CALCULATION METHOD OF BEARING CAPACITY

The finite element (FE) software ANSYS was used to establish a FE model for a stainless steel welded-section beam-column. Based on the experimental results, the validity of the FE model was verified. The verified FE model was used to investigate the influence of residual stress and initial geometric imperfection on the overall stability of components and employed for parametric investigations to generate sufficient data points over a wider range of cross-section classes, including slenderness ratios and load eccentricities combinations. Based on the obtained FE results, the calculation method provided in CECS 410-2015 was assessed again, and an improved calculation method was proposed. The results indicate that the calculation method in CECS 410-2015 provides conservative predictions for the overall stability bearing capacity, and that the improved calculation method is more accurate in predicting the overall stability bearing capacity of stainless steel welded I-section and box-section beam-columns.