• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.415-437
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• 2020

Circular concrete filled steel tube (CFST) columns have an advantage over all other sections when they are used in compression members. This paper proposes a new approach for deriving a new empirical equation to predict the axial compressive capacity of circular CFST columns using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The developed ANN model uses 5 input parameters that include the diameter of circular steel tube, the length of the column, the thickness of steel tube, the steel yield strength and the compressive strength of concrete. The only output parameter is the axial compressive capacity. Training and testing the developed ANN model was carried out using 219 available sets of data collected from the experimental results in the literature. An empirical equation is then proposed as an important result of this study, which is practically used to predict the axial compressive capacity of a circular CFST column. To evaluate the performance of the developed ANN model and the proposed equation, the predicted results are compared with those of the empirical equations stated in the current design codes and other models. It is shown that the proposed equation can predict the axial compressive capacity of circular CFST columns more accurately than other methods. This is confirmed by the high accuracy of a large number of existing test results. Finally, the parametric study result is analyzed for the proposed ANN equation to consider the effect of the input parameters on axial compressive strength.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.519-546
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• 2015

This study addresses the load capacity prediction of circular concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns under axial compression using current design codes. Design methods given in the Chinese code CECS 28:2012 (2012), American code AISC 360-10 (2010) and EC4 (2004) are presented and described briefly. A wide range of experimental data of 353 CFST columns is used to evaluate the applicability of CECS 28:2012 in calculating the strength of circular CFST columns. AISC 360-10 and EC4 (2004) are also compared with the test results. The comparisons indicate that all three codes give conservative predictions for both short and long CFST columns. The effects of concrete strength, steel strength and diameter-to-thickness ratio on the accuracy of prediction according to CECS 28:2012 are discussed, which indicate a possibility of extending the limitations on the material strengths and diameter-to-thickness ratio to higher values. A revised equation for slenderness reduction factor in CECS 28:2012 is given.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.123-137
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• 2023

To fully understand shear mechanisms and composite effects of circular concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns, systematic numerical investigations were conducted in this paper by improved finite element models. The triaxial plastic-damage constitutive model of the concrete and the interactions between the concrete and steel tube were considered. Afterwards, the critical and upper bound shear span ratios of the circular CFST column under lateral shear loading were determined. The composite effects between the two materials were analyzed by comparing the shear resistance with plain concrete column and hollow steel tube. In addition, a method that predicts the shear bearing capacity of a circular CFST column was proposed. The confining effects on the concrete core and the restraining effects on the steel tube were considered in this method. The proposed formula can predict more accurate results than the methods in different codes and references.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.445-460
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• 2021

This study experimentally explored the behaviour of 12 concrete filled steel tube (CFST) and steel tube columns subjected to lateral cyclic loading. The L/D ratio was 12.3 while D/t ratios were 45.4, 37.8 and 32.4, classifying these 12 specimens into 3 groups. Each group included 3 CFST and 1 steel tube columns and were tested to failure. The experimental results indicated that CFST specimens reached the state of 'collapse prevention' (drift 4%) prior to the occurrence of local buckling. Strength degradation of CFST specimens did not occur up to the failure by buckling. This showed the favourable characteristic of CFST columns in preventing collapse of structures subjected to earthquakes. The high energy absorption capability in the post collapse limit state was appropriate for dissipating energy in structures. Compared to steel tube columns, CFST columns delayed local buckling and prevented inward buckling. Consequently, CFST columns exhibited their outstanding seismic performance in terms of the increased ultimate resistance, capacity to sustain 2-3 additional load cycles and significantly higher drift. A simple and reasonably accurate model was proposed to predict the ultimate strength of CFST columns under lateral cyclic loading.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.533-546
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• 2023

Cost-effective solutions provided by composite construction are gaining popularity which, in turn, promotes the appearance on the market of new types of composite sections that allow not only to take advantage of the synergy of steel and concrete working together at room temperature, but also to improve their behaviour at high temperatures. When combined with high performance materials, significant load-bearing capacities can be achieved even with reduced cross-sectional dimensions. Steel-reinforced concrete-filled steel tubular (SR-CFST) columns are one of these innovative composite sections, where an open steel profile is embedded into a CFST section. Besides the renowned benefits of these typologies at room temperature, the fire protection offered by the surrounding concrete to the inner steel profile, gives them an enhanced fire performance which delays its loss of mechanical capacity in a fire scenario. The experimental evidence on the fire behaviour of SR-CFST columns is still scarce, particularly when combined with high performance materials. However, it is being much needed for the development of specific design provisions that consider the use of the inner steel profile in CFST columns. In this work, a new experimental program on the thermo-mechanical behaviour of SR-CFST columns is presented to extend the available experimental database. Ten SR-CFST stub columns, with circular and square geometries, combining high strength steel and concrete were tested. It was seen that the circular specimens reached higher failure times than the square columns, with the failure time increasing both when high strength steel was used at the embedded steel profile and high strength concrete was used as infill. Finally, different proposals for the reduction coefficients of high performance materials were assessed in the prediction of the cross-sectional fire resistance of the SR-CFST columns.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.181-194
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• 2017

In order to investigate the interface debonding defects detection mechanism between steel tube and concrete core of concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs), multi-physical fields coupling finite element models constituted of a surface mounted Piezoceramic Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) actuator, an embedded PZT sensor and a circular cross section of CFST column are established. The stress wave initiation and propagation induced by the PZT actuator under sinusoidal and sweep frequency excitations are simulated with a two dimensional (2D) plain strain analysis and the difference of stress wave fields close to the interface debonding defect and within the cross section of the CFST members without and with debonding defects are compared in time domain. The linearity and stability of the embedded PZT response under sinusoidal signals with different frequencies and amplitudes are validated. The relationship between the amplitudes of stress wave and the measurement distances in a healthy CFST cross section is also studied. Meanwhile, the responses of PZT sensor under both sinusoidal and sweep frequency excitations are compared and the influence of debonding defect depth and length on the output voltage is also illustrated. The results show the output voltage signal amplitude and head wave arriving time are affected significantly by debonding defects. Moreover, the measurement of PZT sensor is sensitive to the initiation of interface debonding defects. Furthermore, wavelet packet analysis on the voltage signal under sweep frequency excitations is carried out and a normalized wavelet packet energy index (NWPEI) is defined to identify the interfacial debonding. The value of NWPEI attenuates with the increase in the dimension of debonding defects. The results help understand the debonding defects detection mechanism for circular CFST members with PZT technique.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.437-449
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• 2012

Concrete filled steel tube (CFST) structures have recently seen wide use in China, but studies of the shear problem of CFST are inadequate. This paper presents an experimental study on the shear capacity of circular concrete filled steel tube (CCFT) specimens with and without axial compression force. Shear capacity, ductility, and damage modes of CCFTs were investigated and compared. Test results revealed the following: 1) CCFTs with a small shear span ratio may fail in shear in a ductile manner; 2) Several factors including section size, material properties, shear span ratio, axial compression ratio, and confinement index affect the shear capacity of CCFTs. Based on test results and analysis, this paper proposes a design formula for the shear capacity of CCFTs.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제6권5호
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• pp.485-507
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• 2018

Concrete-Filled Steel Tube (CFST) columns are an increasingly popular means to support great compressive loads in buildings. The residual strength capacity of CFST stub columns may be utilized to assess the potential damage caused by fire and calculate the structural fire protection for least post-fire repair. Ten specimens under room conditions and 10 specimens under fire exposure to the Eurocode smouldering slow-growth fire were tested to examine the effects of diameter to thickness D/t ratio and reinforcing bars on residual strength capacity, ductility and stiffness of CFST stub columns. On the other hand, in sixteen among the twenty specimens, three or six reinforcing bars were welded inside the steel tube. The longitudinal strains in the steel tube and load-displacement relationships were recorded throughout the subsequent compressive tests. Corresponding values of residual strength capacity calculated using AISC 360-10 and EC4 standards are presented for comparison purposes with the experimental results of this study. The test results showed that after exposure to $750^{\circ}C$, the residual strength capacity increased for all specimens, while the ductility and stiffness were slightly decreased. The comparison results showed that the predicted residual strength using EC4 were close to those obtained experimentally in this research.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.689-706
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• 2022

Thin-walled square concrete-filled double steel tubular (CFDST) columns composed of the inner circular tube filled with concrete can be used to carry the large axial loads or strengthen existing CFST columns in composite constructions. This paper reports an experimental program carried out on short square CFDST columns loaded concentrically. The influences of important column parameters on the post-buckling performance of such columns are investigated. Test results exhibit that the inner circular tube significantly improves the ultimate loads and the ductility of such columns compared to conventional concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) and double-skin CFST (DCFST) columns with an inner void. A mathematical model developed is used to simulate the ultimate strengths and load-strain curves of such columns loaded axially. Furthermore, the ultimate strengths of such columns are predicted using existing codified design models for conventional CFST columns as well as the formulas proposed by previous researchers and compared against a large database comprising 500 CFDST columns. Lastly, an accurate artificial neural network model is developed for the practical applications of such columns under axial loading.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제51권6호
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• pp.697-712
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• 2024

In this paper, the dynamic flexural stiffness of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) members is investigated based on vibration modal testing and a Bayesian model updating procedure. To reflect the actual service states of CFST members, a 3-stage modal testing procedure is developed for 6 circular CFST beam-columns, in which the modal parameters of the specimens under varying axial load levels are extracted. In the model updating procedure, a Timoshenko beam element model is first established, in which the influence of shear deformation and rotational inertia are incorporated. Subsequently, a 2-round Bayesian model updating strategy is proposed to calculate the dynamic flexural stiffness of the specimens, which could effectively consider the influence of physical constraints in the updating process and achieve reasonably well results. Analysis of the updating results shows that with the increase of the axial load level, degradation of the flexural stiffness is significantly influenced by the load eccentricity. It shows that the cracking of the core concrete is the primary reason for the flexural stiffness degradation of CFST beam-columns. Finally, based on comparison with equations proposed by several design standards, the calculation methods for the dynamic flexural stiffness of CFST members is recommended.