High strength steels (HSS) are becoming more common in engineering practice due to their improved qualities. They are standardized by the specific parts of product standard EN10025 and soon they will be also codified in the execution standard EN1090. Regarding design using HSS, EN 1993−1−1 gives stability design rules for columns, beams and beam–columns up to S460, whereas EN 1993−1−12 gives additional guidance for S500 up to S700 (based mainly on numerical work available at the time). Existing studies on flexural buckling of welded H, I and box columns in steel grades S460 to S960, even though limited, show that improved curves can be used for members in high strength steel (HSS). Recently, within the European Project STROBE, evaluation of the European stability design rules was carried out covering columns, beams, and beam–columns. The research was based on experimental programme covering 20 full-scale tests, residual stress measurements, advanced numerical models, analytical derivations, and statistical evaluation. Finally, it was possible to justify new, more accurate recommendations for the buckling curve selection for HSS members. This paper provides a summary of the project conclusions regarding the stability design of steel members in high strength steel.

EN 1993-1-1 gives stability design rules for columns, beams and beam–columns up to S460, whereas EN 1993-1-12 gives additional guidance for S500 up to S700. Recent studies show that high strength steel members may be designed using improved buckling curves, where the enhanced behaviour is usually attributed to the improved material properties but mainly due to the more favourable residual stress distribution. The behaviour of unrestrained beams in HSS has not been widely studied. At present in EN 1993-1-1, the design rules for lateral-torsional buckling of beams are not dependent on the steel grade, meaning that the code does not distinguish between beams in conventional strength steel or HSS. In pursuit of an answer to the mentioned shortcomings, the present research is based on the experimental programme covering 12 full-scale tests, residual stress measurements, advanced numerical models and analytical derivations. The experiments cover different steel grades up to S690, welded and hot-rolled sections, homogeneous and hybrid (flanges in HSS and web in mild steel), double and mono-symmetric sections as well as variations in the cross-section class. This paper provides an overview of the experimental programme, discusses the results for lateral-torsional buckling of beams, and presents an advanced numerical model that was calibrated to the experimental results including the measured residual stress distribution and geometrical properties of the members. The numerical model was explored to assess various assumptions for the member imperfections, and these are further compared with code recommendations.