High-performance metallic materials for applications in infrastructure and energy sectors Keynote at Eurosteel 2023 in Amsterdam

High performance steels, such as stainless steels, have many desirable characteristics that warrant their use in various sectors, including infrastructure and energy applications. This paper is concerned with two of such applications: (i) the use of stainless steel for large-scale liquid hydrogen storage tanks, which is a requirement for the future hydrogen energy network, and (ii) the use of stainless steel in steel-framed buildings to enhance their robustness under extreme loading conditions. The paper begins with a discussion of the technical challenges associated with the material behaviour of stainless steel storage tanks under extreme temperature and pressure conditions. It presents and discusses the results of a pilot experimental programme that investigates the mechanical behaviour of stainless steel 304 L material under cryogenic 20 k hydrogen environment. Next, to demonstrate the benefits of the strategic use of stainless steel in the key connection parts of steel-framed structures, the paper presents the setup for a new test programme that investigates the behaviour of stainless steel beam-to-column connections, using A4-70 bolts and EN1.4301 plates, under a column removal scenario. The numerical modelling prediction results of the specimens are presented, and comparisons with carbon steel counterparts are made and discussed.