Combined compression and bending of austenitic stainless steel I-section members

This paper deals with the experimental and numerical investigations of austenitic stainless steel beam-columns. The study is focused on I-profile members only, submitted to compression and major axis bending failing by major axis flexural buckling. The experimental part consisted in beam-column tests via eccentrically loaded compressed columns, with varied loading eccentricities providing a wide range of major axis bending momentto-axial load (M/N) ratios. Both ordinary-welded and laser-welded I-section specimens made of austenitic stainless steel EN 1.4301 were tested. Material tensile coupon tests and initial geometric imperfection measurements are described in detail. The test results were subsequently used for validating a finite element (FE) model, developed in ABAQUS software, which was successively used for a numerical parametric study focused on the influence of the M/N loading ratio, column slenderness, cross-section slenderness and I-section aspect ratio. The results of the parametric study were compared with the existing design rules, subjected to a reliability study, and further discussed.