Behavior of Cold-Rolled Stainless Steel Members

Results obtained from a research project dealing with the structural behavior of cold-formed members of cold-rolled stainless steel are presented. The distinctive mechanical properties include anisotropy, nonlinear and unsymmetrical stress-strain relationships in tension and compression, and the pronounced effect of cold working. The post-buckling behavior of thin compression elements stiffened along one or both unloaded edges by thin webs has been found to agree with Koiter's theory, with von Karman's relationship on effective width, as modified by Winter for carbon steel, as the lower bound. Using an iterative numerical procedure, the flexural strength and deflection of thin-walled cold-rolled stainless steel beams can be predicted accurately. A brief analysis on column behavior is also presented. Design methods taking into account the material characteristics and the post-buckling strength of the thin compression elements of these structural members are recommended.