Local buckling strength of stainless steel beam webs subjected to a stress gradient

• Stainless steel material properties depend on the direction of loading.
• Austenitic alloys exhibited more ductility than ferritic alloys.
• Specimens failed by local buckling after yielding had taken place.
• Strength of stainless steel webs is obtained with no reduction factor.
• The effective width approach is conservative for low web slenderness.

This paper investigates the local buckling strength of stainless steel beam webs, subjected to a stress gradient. Due to relatively low values of the proportional limit, stainless steels resist loads at stresses beyond the proportional limit. The design of such steels is therefore influenced by its inelastic buckling strength. To determine this strength, plasticity reduction factors are used in local buckling calculations to account for inelastic post-buckling behavior. Steels chosen for this study are AISI Type 304, 410 and Type 3CR12 stainless steels. Dimensions of the sections were selected to promote local buckling, and inhibit other forms of buckling, such as distortional and lateral-torsional buckling. The depth of the web was varied in order to study channels of different slenderness ratio. It was concluded in this investigation that an acceptable prediction of the local buckling strength of stainless steel beam webs may be obtained through the use of the effective width approach, using no plasticity reduction factor.