• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.49 no.5
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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.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.967-993
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• 2015

The aim of this paper is to investigate the appropriateness of current codes of practice for predicting the axial load capacity of high-strength Concrete Filled Steel Tubular Columns (CFSTCs). Australian/New Zealand standards and other international codes of practice for composite bridges and buildings are currently being revised and will allow for the use of high-strength CFSTCs. It is therefore important to assess and modify the suitability of the section and ultimate buckling capacities models. For this purpose, available experimental results on high-strength composite columns have been assessed. The collected experimental results are compared with eight current codes of practice for rectangular CFSTCs and seven current codes of practice for circular CFSTCs. Furthermore, based on the statistical studies carried out, simplified relationships are developed to predict the section and ultimate buckling capacities of normal and high-strength short and slender rectangular and circular CFSTCs subjected to concentric loading.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.59-75
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• 2014

A new concrete confinement model is developed to predict the axial load versus displacement behavior of circular columns under concentric axial load. The new confinement model is proposed for concrete filled steel tube columns as well as circular reinforced concrete columns with steel tube jacketing. Existing confinement models were evaluated and improved using available experimental data from different sets of columns tested under similar loading conditions. The proposed model is based on commonly used confinement models with an emphasis on modifying the effective confining pressure coefficient utilizing the strength of the unconfined concrete and the steel tube, the length of the column, and the thickness of the steel tube. The proposed model predicts the ultimate axial strength and the corresponding strain with an acceptable degree of accuracy while also highlighting the importance of the manner in which the steel tube is used.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.393-410
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• 2001

In an experimental and analytical study on the structural behavior of slender circular steel-concrete composite columns, eleven specimens were tested to investigate the effects of three ways to apply a load to a column. The load was applied eccentrically to the concrete section, to the steel section or to the entire section. Three-dimensional nonlinear finite element models were established and verified with the experimental results. The analytical models were also used to study how the behavior of the column was influenced by the bond strength between the steel tube and the concrete core and the by confinement of the concrete core offered by the steel tube. The results obtained from the tests and the finite element analyses showed that the behavior of the column was greatly influenced by the method used to apply a load to the column section. When relying on just the natural bond, full composite action was achieved only when the load was applied to the entire section of the column. Furthermore, because of the slenderness effects the columns did not exhibit the beneficial effects of composite behavior in terms of increased concrete strength due to the confinement.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.269-275
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• 2006

In the design of bridge piers in seismic area, the ductility requirement is one of the most important design criteria. In order to enhance the seismic performance of RC columns, it is necessary to make the ductility of columns larger by covering RC columns with steel tubes or confining RC columns by arranging transverse reinforcement such as hoop ties closely. Concrete encased composite columns can be utilized for bridge piers especially in seismic area. In this paper, finite element analyses are performed to study the nonlinear behavior of concrete encased composite columns with single core steel or multiple steel elements under static and quasi-static loads. The cross-sections of these specimens ate composed of concrete-encased H-shaped structural steel columns and a concrete-encased circular tube with partial in-filled concrete. Test parameters were the amount of the transverse reinforcement, encased steel member, and loading axis. Through the comparison between FE analyses and test results, adequate material models for confined concrete and unconfined concrete ate investigated. After getting the proper analysis models for composite columns, several parameters are considered to suggest design considerations on the details of composite piers.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.285-302
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• 2006

This paper describes the design and behaviour of cold-formed stainless steel slender circular hollow section columns. The columns were compressed between fixed ends at different column lengths. The investigation focused on large diameter-to-plate thickness (D/t) ratio ranged from 100 to 200. An accurate finite element model has been developed. The initial local and overall geometric imperfections have been included in the finite element model. The material nonlinearity of the cold-formed stainless steel sections was incorporated in the model. The column strengths, load-shortening curves as well as failure modes were predicted using the finite element model. The nonlinear finite element model was verified against test results. An extensive parametric study was carried out to study the effects of cross-section geometries on the strength and behaviour of stainless steel slender circular hollow section columns with large D/t ratio. The column strengths predicted from the parametric study were compared with the design strengths calculated using the American Specification, Australian/New Zealand Standard and European Code for cold-formed stainless steel structures. It is shown that the design strengths obtained using the Australian/New Zealand and European specifications are generally unconservative for the cold-formed stainless steel slender circular hollow section columns, while the American Specification is generally quite conservative. Therefore, design equation was proposed in this study.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.659-667
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• 2018

This paper deals with the experimental study on strength the strength and deformation characteristics of short circular Concrete Filled Steel Tube (CFST) columns. Effect of vertical stiffeners on the behavior of the column is studied under axial compressive loading. Intermittently welded vertical stiffeners are used to strengthen the tubes. Stiffeners are attached to the inner surface of tube by welding through pre drilled holes on the tube. The variable of the study is the spacing of the weld between stiffeners and circular tube. A total of 5 specimens with different weld spacing (60 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm and 350 mm) were prepared and tested. Short CFST columns of height 350 mm, outer tube diameter of 165 mm and thickness of 4.5 mm were used in the study. Concrete of cube compressive strength $41N/mm^2$ and steel tubes with yield strength $310N/mm^2$ are adopted. The test results indicate that the strength and deformation of the circular CFST column is found to be significantly influenced by the weld spacing. The ultimate axial load carrying capacity was found to increase by 11% when the spacing of weld is reduced from 350 mm to 60 mm. The vertical stiffeners are found to effective in enhancing the initial stiffness and ductility of CFST columns. The prediction models were developed for strength and deformation of CFST columns. The prediction is found to be in good agreement with the corresponding test data.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.199-212
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• 2019

This paper presents an investigation on seismic behavior of out-of-code Q690 circular high-strength concrete-filled thin-walled steel tubular (HCFTST) columns made up of high-strength (HS) steel tubes (yield strength $f_y{\geq}690MPa$). Eight Q690 circular HCFTST columns with various diameter-to-thickness (D/t) ratios, concrete cylinder compressive strengths ($f_c$) and axial compression ratios (n) were tested under the constant axial loading and reversed cyclic lateral loading. The obtained lateral load-displacement hysteretic curves, energy dissipation, skeleton curves and ductility, and stiffness degradation were analyzed in detail to reflect the influences of tested parameters. Subsequently, a simplified shear strength model was derived and validated by the test results. Finally, a finite element analysis (FEA) model incorporating a stress triaxiality dependent fracture criterion was established to simulate the seismic behavior. The systematic investigation indicates the following: compared to the D/t ratio and axial compression ratio, improving the concrete compressive strength (e.g., the HS thin-walled steel tube filled with HS concrete) had a slight influence on the ductility but an obvious enhancement of energy dissipation and peak load; the simplified shear strength model based on truss mechanism accurately predicted the shear-resisting capacity; and the established FEA model incorporating steel fracture criterion simulated well the seismic behavior (e.g., hysteretic curve, local buckling and fracture), which can be applied to the seismic analysis and design of Q690 circular HCFTST columns.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.497-520
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• 2016

The confined concrete stress-strain curves utilised in computational models of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns can have a significant influence on the accuracy of the predicted behaviour. A generic model is proposed for predicting the stress-strain behaviour of confined concrete in short circular, elliptical and octagonal CFST columns subjected to axial compression. The finite element (FE) analysis is carried out to simulate the concrete confining pressure in short circular, elliptical and octagonal CFST columns. The concrete confining pressure relies on the geometric and material parameters of CFST columns. The post-peak behaviour of the concrete stress-strain curve is determined using independent existing experimental results. The strength reduction factor is derived for predicting the descending part of the confined concrete behaviour. The fibre element model is developed for the analysis of circular, elliptical and octagonal CFST short columns under axial loading. The FE model and fibre element model accounting for the proposed concrete confined model is verified by comparing the computed results with experimental results. The ultimate axial strengths and complete axial load-strain curves obtained from the FE model and fibre element model agree reasonably well with experimental results. Parametric studies have been carried out to examine the effects of important parameters on the compressive behaviour of short circular, elliptical and octagonal CFST columns. The design model proposed by Liang and Fragomeni (2009) for short circular, elliptical and octagonal CFST columns is validated by comparing the predicted results with experimental results.

• International journal of steel structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1577-1588
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• 2018

As the excellent mechanical performance and easy construction of concrete filled steel tubes (CFST) composite structure, it has the potential to be used to strengthen RC pier columns. Therefore, tests were conducted on 2 reinforcement concrete (RC) stub columns and 9 RC columns strengthened with circular CFST under axial loading. The test results show that the circular CFST strengthening method is effective since the mean bearing capacity of the RC columns is increased at least 3.69 times and the ductility index is significantly improved more than 30%. One of the reasons for enhancement is obvious confinement provided by steel tube besides the additional bearing capacity supplied by the strengthening materials. From the analysis of the enhancement ratio, the strengthening structure has at least an extra 20% amplification except for taking full advantage of the strength of the strengthening material. Through the analysis of confining stress provided by steel tube and the stress-strain relationship of confined concrete, it is found that the strength of the core concrete can be increased by 21-33% and the ultimate strain can be enhanced to beyond $15,000{\mu}{\varepsilon}$.