• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.617-631
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• 2022

To study the eccentric compressive performance of the basalt-fiber reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (BFRRAC)-filled circular steel tubular stub column, 8 specimens with different replacement ratios of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), basalt fiber (BF) dosage, strength grade of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) and eccentricity were tested under eccentric static loading. The failure mode of the specimens was observed, and the relationship curves during the entire loading process were obtained. Further, the load-lateral displacement curve was simulated and verified. The influence of the different parameters on the peak bearing capacity of the specimens was analyzed, and the finite element analysis model was established under eccentric compression. Further, the design-calculation method of the eccentric bearing capacity for the specimens was suggested. It was observed that the strength failure is the ultimate point during the eccentric compression of the BFRRAC-filled circular steel tubular stub column. The shape of the load-lateral deflection curves of all specimens was similar. After the peak load was reached, the lateral deflection in the column was rapidly increased. The peak bearing capacity decreased on enhancing the replacement ratio or eccentric distance, while the core RAC strength exhibited the opposite behavior. The ultimate bearing capacity of the BFRRAC-filled circular steel tubular stub column under eccentric compression calculated based on the limit analysis theory was in good agreement with the experimental values. Further, the finite element model of the eccentric compression of the BFRRAC-filled circular steel tubular stub column could effectively analyze the eccentric mechanical properties.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.297-313
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• 2016

The flexural strength of circular concrete-filled tubes (CCFT) can be estimated by several codes such as ACI, AISC, and Eurocode 4. In AISC and Eurocode, two methods are recommended, which are the strain compatibility method (SCM) and the plastic stress distribution method (PSDM). The SCM of AISC is almost the same as the SCM of the ACI method, while the SCM of Eurocode is similar to the ACI method. Only the assumption of the compressive stress of concrete is different. The PSDM of Eurocode approach is also similar to the PSDM of AISC, but they have different definitions of material strength. The PSDM of AISC is relatively easier to use, because AISC provides closed-form equations for calculating the flexural strength. However, due to the complexity of calculation of circular shapes, it is quite difficult to determine the flexural strength of CCFT following other methods. Furthermore, all these methods give different estimations. In this study, an effort is made to review and compare the codes to identify their differences. The study also develops a computing program for the flexural strength of circular concrete filled tubes under pure bending that is in accordance with the codes. Finally, the developed computing algorithm, which is programmed in MATLAB, is used to generate design aid graphs for various steel grades and a variety of strengths of steel and concrete. These design aid graphs for CCFT beams can be used as a preliminary design tool.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.415-428
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• 2010

Proper material constitutive models for concrete-filled tube (CFT) columns of circular cross section and subjected to pure bending moment are proposed. These material models are implemented into the Abaqus finite element program and verified against experimental data. It has been shown that the steel tube does not provide good confining effect to the concrete core when the CFT columns is subjected to pure bending moment. When the diameter-to-thickness ratio of the CFT columns is small, the behavior of the CFT column is the same as the steel tube without a concrete core.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.5
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• pp.575-590
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• 2022

In this paper, bond-slip behavior of high strength concrete filled circular steel tube (HSCFCST) after elevated temperatures treatment was studied. 17 specimens were designed for push-out test. The influence was discussed as following parameters: (a) concrete strength, (b) constant temperature, and (c) bond length. The results showed that (1) after elevated temperatures treatment, the bond strength of the HSCFCST specimens increased first and then decreased with temperature rising; (2) the bond strength increased with the increase of concrete strength at room temperature, while the influence subsided after elevated temperatures treatment; (3) the strain of the circular steel tube was distributed exponentially along its length, the stress changed from exponential distribution to uniform distribution with the increase of load; (4) the bond damage process was postponed with the increase of constant temperature; and (5) the energy consumption capacity of the bonding interface increased with the rise of concrete strength and constant temperature. Moreover, computational formulas of ultimate and residual bond strength were obtained by regression, and the bond-slip constitutive models of HSCFCSTs after elevated temperatures was established.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2019

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is a type of ultra-high strength concrete that has a relatively high brittleness. However, its ductility can be improved by confinement, and the use of RPC in composite RPC filled steel tube columns has become an important subject of research in recent years. This paper aims to present an experimental study of axial capacity calculation of RPC filled circular steel tube columns. Twenty short columns under axial compression were tested and information on their failure patterns, deformation performance, confinement mechanism and load capacity were presented. The effects of load conditions, diameter-thickness ratio and compressive strength of RPC on the axial behavior were further discussed. The experimental results show that: (1) specimens display drum-shaped failure or shear failure respectively with different confinement coefficients, and the load capacity of most specimens increases after the peak load; (2) the steel tube only provides lateral confinement in the elastic-plastic stage for fully loaded specimens, while the confinement effect from steel tube initials at the set of loading for partially loaded specimens; (3) confinement increases the load capacity of specimens by 3% to 38%, and this increase is more pronounced as the confinement coefficient becomes larger; (4) the residual capacity-to-ultimate capacity ratio is larger than 0.75 for test specimens, thus identifying the composite columns have good ductility. The working mechanism and force model of the composite columns were analyzed, and based on the twin-shear unified strength theory, calculation methods of axial capacity for columns with two load conditions were established.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.485-499
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• 2018

In this paper, a hollow steel tube (HST) shear connector is proposed for use in a slim-floor system. The HST welded to a perforated steel beam web and embedded in concrete slab. A total of 10 push-out tests were conducted under static loading to investigate the mechanical behavior of the proposed HST connector. The variables were the shapes (circular, square and rectangular) and sizes of hollow steel tubes, and the compressive strength of the concrete. The failure mode was recorded as: concrete slab compressive failure under the steel tube and concrete tensile splitting failure, where no failure occurred in the HST. Test results show that the square shape HST in filled via concrete strength 40 MPa carried the highest shear load value, showing three times more than the reference specimens. It also recorded less slip behavior, and less compressive failure mode in concrete underneath the square hollow connector in comparison with the circular and rectangular HST connectors in both concrete strengths. The rectangular HST shows a 20% higher shear resistance with a longer width in the load direction in comparison with that in the smaller dimension. The energy absorption capacity values showed 23% and 18% improvements with the square HST rather than a headed shear stud when embedded in concrete strengths of 25 MPa and 40 MPa, respectively. Moreover, an analytical method was proposed and predicts the shear resistance of the HST shear connectors with a standard deviation of 0.14 considering the shape and size of the connectors.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.417-430
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• 2017

Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) has aroused interest around the world owing to superior mechanical and durability properties over conventional concrete. However, the application of UHPC in practice poses difficulties due to its inherent brittleness. UHPC filled in steel tube columns (UHPC-FSTCs) are capable of restricting the brittle failure of non-reinforced UHPC columns and forming a high performance member with enhancement of strength and ductility. Currently, research on UHPC-FSTCs remains very limited and there is relatively little information about the mechanical behavior of these columns. Therefore, this study presents a review of past experimental studies to have a deeper insight into the compressive behavior of UHPC-FSTCs under axial loading on entire section and on concrete core. Based on the test results obtained from Schneider (2006) and Xiong (2012), an analysis was conducted to investigate the influence of the confinement index (${\xi}$) and diameter to steel tube thickness ratio (D/t) on the strength and the ductility in short circular UHPC-FSTCs. Furthermore, the appropriateness of current design codes including EC4, AISC, AIJ and previous analytical models for estimating the ultimate loads of composite columns was also examined by the comparison between the predictions and the test results. Finally, simplified formulae for predicting the ultimate loads in two types of loading pattern were proposed and verified.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.6 no.5
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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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• 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.33 no.2
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• pp.181-194
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• 2019

This paper presents an efficient approach to generate a new empirical formula to predict the axial compression capacity (ACC) of circular concrete-filled tube (CCFT) columns using the artificial neural network (ANN). A total of 258 test results extracted from the literature were used to develop the ANN models. The ANN model having the highest correlation coefficient (R) and the lowest mean square error (MSE) was determined as the best model. Stability analysis, sensitivity analysis, and a parametric study were carried out to estimate the stability of the ANN model and to investigate the main contributing factors on the ACC of CCFT columns. Stability analysis revealed that the ANN model was more stable than several existing formulae. Whereas, the sensitivity analysis and parametric study showed that the outer diameter of the steel tube was the most sensitive parameter. Additionally, using the validated ANN model, a new empirical formula was derived for predicting the ACC of CCFT columns. Obviously, a higher accuracy of the proposed empirical formula was achieved compared to the existing formulae.