Investigation of Flexural Behaviour of Stainless Steel Channel Sections

In this paper, the design of austenitic stainless steel channel sections subjected to minor axis bending, specifically with tension in the web (“u” orientation) is analyzed. The values of moment resistance are predicted using Eurocode 3 criteria and the Continuous Strength Method (CSM), which are then compared with numerical models to assess effectiveness. The modeling is performed through ANSYS and calibrated with literature tests. It was found that Eurocode presents a considerable disparity in results, as well as an overly cautious response (on average, half the numerical load). The CSM reflects the performance more accurately but still with a certain level of conservatism (on average, around 35% lower).