Consistent partial safety factor design of longitudinally loadedplated steel girders using finite element analysis

<jats:p>Design assisted by finite element analysis is now well-established in both research and practice. The European standard EN 1993-1-14 establishes a regulatory framework enabling the consistent design of steel structures utilising finite element analysis. The present paper investigates the consistency of these rules by means of a calibration of partial safety factors for steel and steel-concrete composite plated girders in accordance with EN 1990. This comparison between the proposed approach by EN 1993-1-14 and the results of this study highlight that the proposition of a constant partial safety factor does not necessarily result in safe designs. Moreover, the present paper puts forward propositions to facilitate a rapid derivation of the necessary parameters for the partial safety factor calibrations.Moreover, the present study investigated the application of numerically evaluated critical stresses for the use in analytical formulations, specifically in the case of plated steel girders loaded in pure shear. The conclusion drawn from this analysis is that the regulations of EN 1993-1-14 do not result in safe outcome. Instead, an increase of partial safety factors would be recommended.</jats:p>