Comparative study on design methods for stainless steel bolted connection in different codes

As the applications of stainless steel structure increased, the demand for a stainless steel structure code becomes more urgent. There have been several standards for stainless steel structures at abroad., while there is no such a specification in China. According to European (Eurocode 3 EN 1993-1-4), American (SEI/ASCE8-02), Australian/New Zealand(AS/NZS 4673) standards, Japanese design code for stainless steel structure, and Chinese(GB50017-2003), the stainless steel bolt connection was contrasted in the design process, including the resistance of net cross-section, the bearing resistance, the shear resistance, the tension resistance of the bolt connection, and the resistance under combined shear and tension. The related example in calculations was given and the results of the design were compared. The results show that the European code is more detailed, the Japanese code is relatively comprehensive, and that it is not proper that GB50017-2003 is applied in the design of stainless steel bolt connections.