Hétérogénéité des aciers de construction et calcul aux états-limites
Proceeding from yield stress tests on ductile structural steels, the article studies the various factors influencing the ultimate strength of beams in plastic bending. The influence of the testing speed is briefly reviewed. The heterogeneity with the cross section of rolled shapes is then examined to bring out the fundamental importance of the ratio of flange yield stress to web yield stress. The mean value of this ratio is of the order of 0.87 and its coefficient of variation approximately 0.06.The influence of thickness is studied to show the desirability of systematic testing.The data supplied by AISI surveys permit the investigation of longitudinal heterogeneity and its impact on bending strength test results. It is then shown why tests on redundant beams and frames are more useful than those on determinate beams.Combining the two types of heterogeneities, longitudinal and transversal, the approximate values of the performance factors may be calculated and compared with the values published until now.Finally, the aspect of quality control is examined and some remarks made on stub column tests. The conclusion is offered that, in accordance with logic, test coupons should no longer be taken in the web, but rather in the flanges of rolled shapes.