Concepts and implementation of strain-based criteria in design codes for steel structures

Abstract

A uniaxial tension test is commonly used to determine the mechanical properties of steel, but it has no meaning for the response of the material in a structure. The test was developed as a consensus solution by producers, fabricators, designers and code writers, to have a standard by which similar materials could be compared to a common base. It does not represent the actual behavior of the steel in a structure, and was never intended to do so. To study the true behavior of the structure and how the material responds it would be better to determine the strains and deformations that will take place during actual service condition. Such characteristics reflect the real behavior, whether in the elastic or inelastic range. If stresses or forces are needed, these are easily determined by the value of the strain and the relevant material modulus, along with the type of cross section, whether elastic or inelastic. The paper addresses the properties of a range of structural steels, how these are incorporated into design standards and how the standards define deformation characteristics and demands for bolted and welded connections.

Keywords

steel / stress-strain characteristics / tension test / strain design / actual behavior / improved design codes

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2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg