Experimental study and finite element simulation of shear resistance performance of stainless steel beams

Stainless steel structures have gradually become high-performance green building materials in the field of engineering construction due to their advantages such as good corrosion resistance and ease of maintenance. However, stainless steel exhibits strain-hardening characteristics, and existing design specifications for calculating the shear bearing capacity of I-section beams are relatively conservative. This paper conducts experimental and finite element studies on the shear buckling bearing performance of stainless steel I-section beams, considering the effects of material nonlinearity, geometric nonlinearity, and local geometric initial imperfections. Based on the experimentally verified finite element numerical model, a parametric analysis of the influence on the shear bearing capacity of beams is carried out to explore the influence patterns of various key parameters, and the results are compared with the calculation results of current specifications (Chinese, American, European). The results indicate that, with the thickness of the web plate and other parameters remaining unchanged, the ultimate bearing capacity of the stainless steel I-beam web plate decreases as the width-to-height ratio of the web plate increases. The calculation results of the Chinese specification are relatively conservative and lower than the actual shear bearing capacity of the component.