The multi-axial strength performance of composited structural B-C-W members subjected to shear forces

This paper presents a new method to compute the shear strength of composited structural B-C-W members. These B-C-W members, defined as concrete-filled steel box beams, columns and shear walls, consist of a slender rectangular steel plate box filled with concrete and inserted steel plates connecting the two long-side steel plates. These structural elements are intended to be used in structural members of super-tall buildings and nuclear safety-related structures. The concrete confined by the steel plate acts to be in a multi-axial stressed state: therefore, its shear strength was calculated on the basis of a concrete's failure criterion model. The shear strength of the steel plates on the long sides of the structural element was computed using the von Mises plastic strength theory without taking into account the buckling of the steel plate. The spacing and strength of the inserted plates to induce plate yielding before buckling was determined using elastic plate theory. Therefore, a predictive method to compute the shear strength of composited structural B-C-W members without considering the shear span ratio was obtained. A coefficient considering the influence of the shear span ratio was introduced into the formula to compute the anti-lateral bearing capacity of composited structural B-C-W members. Comparisons were made between the numerical results and the test results along with this method to predict the anti-lateral bearing capacity of concrete-filled steel box walls. Nonlinear static analysis of concrete-filled steel box walls was also conducted by using ABAQUS and the results agreed well with the experimental data.