Web crippling strength of cold-formed ferritic stainless steel unlipped channels with web openings

![CDATA[Stainless steels are classified into the five main categories of austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, duplex and precipitation-hardening material grades. They are highly durable, ductile, corrosion resistant, aesthetically appealing materials. Among available stainless steel grades, ferritics are the most competitive economically due to its lower nickel content, and so have the widespread structural applications. Web crippling strength of cold-formed ferritic stainless steel channels subject to concentrated transverse loads is described in this paper. The channel flanges are unfastened with offset web openings, due to ease in service integration and loaded under one-flange load scenarios. Experimental results as well numerical results are presented. For the numerical investigations, the finite element models were developed using quasi-static analysis with implicit integration scheme. A complementary parametric investigations were then conducted to determine the web crippling strength reduction factor equations in terms of various channel sizes and position of openings in the web. Strength reduction factors recommended in previous research for lipped stainless steel channels are then compared to reduction factors determined from current study. It is found that the suggested reduction factors for such channels are unreliable to use and un-conservative to apply for unlipped ferritic stainless steel channels as much as 17%.]]