ABSTRACT
The paper presents strength equations for single stainless steel stiffened elements applicable for the range of alloys included in the Australian, American and European standards for stainless steel structures. The strength curves are obtained from a generalised strength curve formulation applicable to metallic plates with nonlinear material characteristics. The strength curves lie approximately 10% below the Winter curve in the intermediate and high plate slenderness range.
Cold-formed sections with stiffened elements are considered taking into account the enhanced mechanical properties of the corners arising from cold-working. It is shown that the Winter equation may or may not conservatively predict the strength of cold-formed stainless steel sections, depending on the corner area relative to the area of the flat elements and the restraint from adjacent elements. A criterion is presented to determine whether the Winter equation can safely be used to determine the strength of stainless steel cold-formed sections. The criterion checks whether the enhancement of corner strength is sufficient to offset the reduction in the strength of the flats caused by the loss of material stiffness.
