On the development of the system-based direct design approach for stainless steel frames using advanced analysis

Abstract

System-based direct design approaches are poised to become the design method of the future. They do not only make the design of structures using advanced structural analysis possible, without requiring any further member resistance checks, but they also allow for the full exploitation of the load redistribution capacity, redundancy and robustness of structures when considering these as whole systems. The widespread and implementation of system-based design approaches require, however, the calibration of suitable system resistance factors to be incorporated in the next generation of structural standards to guarantee the reliability of the method. While system resistance factors have been already proposed in the literature for different types of steel structures in the US (ASCE) and Australian design frameworks, the extension of the method to other materials and design frameworks such as stainless steel alloys and the Eurocode was still lacking until recently. The development of the system-based direct design approaches for stainless steel frames for the Eurocode, ASCE and Australian design frameworks has been addressed in the NewGeneSS project, an overview of which is provided herein. This paper presents a summary of the reliability framework and advanced finite element models developed, as well as of the structural reliability analyses carried out for the calibration of suitable system resistance and safety factors for different loading conditions. Additional considerations concerning the serviceability limit state of the frames, the comparison with the traditional two-step design methods and the development of pre-normative design recommendations are also presented.