On the probabilistic evaluation of the stability resistance of steel columns and beams

The stability resistance of steel columns and beams is still a relevant research task in the structural engineering field. One of the main goals of these ongoing works is the improvement of the standard design process, making it more and more sophisticated and providing a better modelling of the real behaviour. However the research should provide, in parallel, a better understanding of the probabilistic side of design problems to make its safety level more uniform. This paper presents a deep look into the probabilistic stability resistance of steel columns and beams with hot-rolled I profiles. A wide range of random variables is considered, higher-level statistics are taken into account, and a special probabilistic model is applied to achieve refined and coherent results based on the most current statistical data. The results are applicable for reliability examinations of standard design processes.