Influence of Specimen Dimensions and Orientation on the Tensile Properties of Structural Steel

Abstract

Abstract For the measurement of tensile properties of materials, specimens with a rectangular cross-section are commonly used. However, the results are affected by the size of the specimen and the orientations. In this study, the rectangular cross-section specimens in both longitudinal (strain ratio r = 0°) and transverse (strain ratio r = 90°) directions were used to investigate the influence of specimen and orientation on the tensile properties of I-profile of IPE360 and IPE400 steel grade S235. For both I-profiles, four types of sixty dog bone samples with varying dimensions were tested. An electromechanical test machine together with contacting strain gauge and extensometer was used to perform standard tensile test procedures. The conclusion is drawn that specimen dimensions and orientation have a significant influence on the mechanical properties of both I-profile structural steel such as Young's modulus of elasticity, upper and lower yield strength, tensile strength, post-necking elongation and strain hardening rate, which increase with increasing thickness or decreasing gauge length.