• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.261-273
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• 2012

This study proposes and examines a circular composite bridge pier for seismic resistance. The axial and flexural strengths of the proposed bridge pier are provided by the longitudinal reinforcing bars and the concrete, while the transverse reinforcements used in the conventional reinforced concrete pier are replaced by the steel tube. The shear strength of this composite pier relies on the steel tube and the concrete. This system is similar to the steel jacketing method which strengthens the existing reinforced concrete bridge piers. However, no transverse shear reinforcing bar is used in the proposed composite bridge pier. A series of experimental studies is conducted to investigate the seismic resistant characteristics of the proposed circular composite pier. The effects of the longitudinal reinforcing bars, the shear span-to-diameter ratio, and the thickness of the steel tube on the performance of strength, ductility, and energy dissipation of the proposed pier are discussed. The experimental results show that the strength of the proposed circular composite bridge pier can be predicted accurately by the similar method used in the reinforced concrete piers with minor modification. From these experimental studies, it is found that the proposed circular composite bridge pier not only simplifies the construction work greatly but also provides excellent ductility and energy dissipation capacity under seismic lateral force.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.163-181
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• 2022

To study the mechanical properties of steel reinforced recycled concrete (SRRC) filled circular steel tube columns under eccentric compression loads, this study presents a finite element model which can simulate the eccentrically compressed columns using ABAQUS software. The analytical model was established by selecting the reasonable nonlinear analysis theory and the constitutive relationship of materials in the columns. The influences of design parameters on the eccentric compressive performance of columns were also considered in detail, such as the diameter-thickness ratio of circular steel tube, replacement percentage of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), slenderness ratio, eccentricity, recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) strength and steel strength and so on. The deformation diagram, stress nephogram and load-displacement curves of the eccentrically compressed columns were obtained and compared with the test results of specimens. The results show that although there is a certain error between the calculation results and the test results, the error is small, which shows the rationality on the numerical model of eccentrically compressed columns. The failure of the columns is mainly due to the symmetrical bending of the columns towards the middle compression zone, which is a typical compression bending failure. The eccentric bearing capacity and deformation capacity of columns increase with the increase of the strength of steel tube and profile steel respectively. Compared with profile steel, the strength of steel tube has a greater influence on the eccentric compressive performance of columns. Improving the strength of RAC is beneficial to the eccentric bearing capacity of columns. In addition, the eccentric bearing capacity and deformation capacity of columns decrease with the increase of replacement percentage of RCA. The section form of profile steel has little influence on the eccentric compression performance of columns. On this basis, the calculation formulas on the nominal eccentric bearing capacity of columns were also put forward and the results calculated by the proposed formulas are in good agreement with the test values.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.3
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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.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.88 no.1
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• pp.95-107
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• 2023

In this study, circular thin-walled reinforced high strength concrete-filled steel tube (RHSCFST) stub columns with various tube thicknesses (i.e., 1.8, 2.5 and 3.0mm) and reinforcement ratios (i.e., 0, 1.6%, 2.4% and 3.2%) were fabricated to explore the influence of these factors on the axial compressive behavior of RHSCFST. The obtained test results show that the failure mode of RHSCFST transforms from outward buckling and tearing failure to drum failure with the increasing tube thickness. With the tube thickness and reinforcement ratio increased, the ultimate load-carrying capacity, compressive stiffness and ductility of columns increased, while the lateral strain in the stirrup decreased. Comparisons were also made between test results and the existing codes such as AIJ (2008), BS5400 (2005), ACI (2019) and EC4 (2010). It has been found that the existing codes provide conservative predictions for the ultimate load-carrying capacity of RHSCFST. Therefore, an accurate model for the prediction of the ultimate load-carrying capacity of circular thin-walled RHSCFST considering the steel reinforcement is developed, based on the obtained experimental results. It has been found that the model proposed in this study provides more accurate predictions of the ultimate load-carrying capacity than that from existing design codes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.735-751
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• 2014

Concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) composite columns, either circular (CCFT) or rectangular (RCFT), have many economical and aesthetic advantages but the behavior of their connections are complicated. This study aims to investigate, through an experimental program, the performance and behavior of different connections configurations between circular concrete filled steel tube columns (CCFT) and gusset plates subjected to shear and axial compression loadings. The study included seventeen connection subassemblies consisting of a fixed length steel tube and gusset plate connected to the tube end with different details tested under half cyclic loading. A notable effect was observed on the behavior of the connections due to its detailing changes with respect to capacity, failure mode, ductility, and stress distribution.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.309-322
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• 2017

This paper conducted both numerical and theoretical studies to investigate the composite action of notched circular concrete-filled steel tubular (CFT) stub columns under axial compression and established a theoretical method to predict their ultimate bearing capacity. 3D finite element (FE) analysis was conducted to simulate the composite action and the results were in good agreement with experimental results on circular CFT stub columns with differently oriented notches in steel tubes. Parametric study was conducted to understand the effects of different parameters on the mechanical behavior of circular CFT stub columns and also the composite action between the steel tube and the core concrete. Based on the results, a theoretical formula was proposed to calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of notched CFT stub columns under compression with consideration of the composite action between the steel tube and the core concrete.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 2018

Fly ash can significantly improve concrete workability and performance, and recycling fly ash in concrete can contribute to a cleaner environment. Since fly ash influences pozzolanic reactions in concrete, mechanical behaviors of concrete containing fly ash differ from traditional concrete. Creep behaviors of fly ash concrete filled steel tube arch were experimentally investigated for 10% and 30% fly ash replacement. The axes of two arches are designed as circular arc with 2.1 m computed span, 0.24 m arch rise, and their cross-sections are all in circular section. Time dependent deflection and strain of loading and mid-span steel tube were measured, and long term deflection of the model arch with 10% fly ash replacement was significantly larger than with 30% replacement. Considering the steel tube strain, compressive zone height, cross section curvature, and internal force borne by the steel tube, the compressive zone height and structural internal forces increased gradually over time due to concrete creep. Increased fly ash content resulted in more significant neutral axis shift. Mechanisms for internal force effects on neutral axis height were analyzed and verified experimentally.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1487-1505
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• 2016

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the behavior of a new type of composite FRP-concrete-steel member subjected to bi-axial eccentric loading. This new type of composite member is in the form of concrete-filled square steel tube slender columns with inner CFRP (carbon fiber-reinforced polymer) circular tube, composed of an inner CFRP tube and an outer steel tube with concrete filled in the two tubes. Tests on twenty-six specimens of high strength concrete-filled square steel tube columns with inner CFRP circular tube columns (HCFST-CFRP) were carried out. The parameters changed in the experiments include the slenderness ratio, eccentric ratio, concrete strength, steel ratio and CFRP ratio. The experimental results showed that the failure mode of HCFST-CFRP was similar to that of HCFST, and the specimens failed by local buckling because of the increase of lateral deflection. The steel tube and the CFRP worked together well before failure under bi-axial eccentric loading. Ductility of HCFST-CFRP was better than that of HCFST. The ultimate bearing capacity of test specimen was calculated with simplified formula, which agreed well with test results, and the simplified formula can be used to calculate the bearing capacity of HCFSTF within the parameters of this test.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.6
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• pp.643-657
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• 2020

This study presents experimental and numerical investigations on circular steel tube confined ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) columns under axial compression. The plain UHPC without fibers was designed to achieve a compressive strength ranged between 150 MPa and 200 MPa. Test results revealed that loading on only the UHPC core can generate a significant confinement effect for the UHPC core, thus leading to an increase in both strength and ductility of columns, and restricting the inherent brittleness of unconfined UHPC. All tested columns failed by shear plane failure of the UHPC core, this causes a softening stage in the axial load versus axial strain curves. In addition, an increase in the steel tube thickness or the confinement index was found to increase the strength and ductility enhancement and to reduce the magnitude of the loss of load capacity. Besides, steel tube with higher yield strength can improve the post-peak behavior. Based on the test results, the load contribution of the steel tube and the concrete core to the total load was examined. It was found that no significant confinement effect can be developed before the peak load, while the ductility of post-peak stage is mainly affected by the degree of the confinement effect. A finite element model (FEM) was also constructed in ABAQUS software to validate the test results. The effect of bond strength between the steel tube and the UHPC core was also investigated through the change of friction coefficient in FEM. Furthermore, the mechanism of circular steel tube confined UHPC columns was examined using the established FEM. Based on the results of FEM, the confining pressures along the height of each modeled column were shown. Furthermore, the interaction between the steel tube and the UHPC core was displayed through the slip length and shear stresses between two surfaces of two materials.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.501-511
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• 2018

Concrete-filled steel tubular (CFT) columns are commonly used in engineering structures and always subjected to torsion in practice. This paper is thus devoted to investigate the mechanical behavior of circular CFT columns under pure torsion.3D finite element models based on reasonable material constitutive relation were established for analyzing the load-strain ($T-{\gamma}$) curves of circular CFT columns under pure torsion. The numerical simulation indicated that local bulking of the steel tube in CFT columns was prevented and the shear strength and ductility of the core concrete were significantly improved due to the confinement effect between the steel tube and the core concrete. Based on the results, formulas to predict the torsional ultimate bearing capacity of circular CFT columns were proposed with satisfactory correspondence with experimental results. Besides, formulas of composite shear stiffness and the overall process of the $T-{\gamma}$ relation of circular CFT columns under pure torsion were proposed.