• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.127-145
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• 2016

Composite column design is strongly influenced by the computation of the critical buckling load, which is very sensitive to the effective flexural stiffness (EI) of the column. Because of this, the behaviour of a composite column under lateral loading and its response to deflection is largely determined by the EI of the member. Thus, prediction models used for composite member design should accurately mirror this behaviour. However, EI varies due to several design parameters, and the implementation of high-strength materials, which are not considered by the current composite design codes of practice. The reliability of the design methods from six codes of practice (i.e., AS 5100, AS/NZS 2327, Eurocode 4, AISC 2010, ACI 318, and AIJ) for composite columns is studied in this paper. Also, the reliability of these codes of practice against a serviceability limit state criterion are estimated based on the combined use of the test-based statistical procedure proposed by Johnson and Huang (1997) and Monte Carlo simulations. The composite columns database includes 100 tests of circular concrete-filled tubes, rectangular concrete-filled tubes, and concrete-encased steel composite columns. A summary of the reliability analysis procedure and the evaluated reliability indices are provided. The reasons for the reliability analysis results are discussed to provide useful insight and supporting information for a possible revision of available codes of practice.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제82권2호
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• pp.173-189
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• 2022

This study presents an experimental and numerically study about the effects of fiber reinforcement ratio on the behavior of concrete-filled steel tubes (CFST) under dynamic impact loading. In literature have examined the behavior of GFRP and FRP wrapped strengthened CFST elements impact loads. However, since the direction of potential impact force isn't too exact, there is always the probability of not being matched the impact force of the area where the reinforced. Therefore, instead of the fiber textile wrapping method which strengthens only a particular area of CFST element, we used fiber-added concrete-filled elements which allow strengthening the whole element. Thus, the effect of fiber-addition in concrete on the behavior of CFST elements under impact loads was examined. To do so, six simply supported CFST beams were constructed with none fiber, 2% fiber and 10% fiber reinforcement ratio on the concrete part of the CFST beam. CFST beams were examined under two different impact loads (75 kg and 225 kg). The impactors hit the beam from a 2000 mm free fall during the experimental study. Numerical models of the specimens were created using ABAQUS finite element software and validated with experimental data. The obtained results such as; mid-span displacement, acceleration, failure modes and energies from experimental and numerical studies were compared and discussed. Furthermore, the Von Misses stress distribution of the CFST beams with different ratio of fiber reinforcements were investigated numerically. To sum up, there is an optimum amount limit of the fiber reinforcement on CFST beams. Up to this limit, the fiber reinforcement increases the structural performances of the beam, beyond that limit the fiber reinforcement decreases the performances of the CFST beam under transverse impact loadings.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.201-219
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• 2022

This paper firstly proposed high performance composite columns for cold-region infrastructures using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) and ultra-high strength steel (UHSS) Q960E. Then, 24 square UHPC-filled UHSS tubes (UHSTCs) at low temperatures of -80, -60, -30, and 30℃ were performed under axial loads. The key influencing parameters on axial compression performance of UHSS were studied, i.e., temperature level and UHSS-tube wall thickness (t). In addition, mechanical properties of Q960E at low temperatures were also studied. Test results revealed low temperatures improved the yield/ultimate strength of Q960E. Axial compression tests on UHSTCs revealed that the dropping environmental temperature increased the compression strength and stiffness, but compromised the ductility of UHSTCs; increasing t significantly increased the strength, stiffness, and ductility of UHSTCs. This study developed numerical and theoretical models to reproduce axial compression performances of UHSTCs at low temperatures. Validations against 24 tests proved that both two methods provided reasonable simulations on axial compression performance of UHSTCs. Finally, simplified theoretical models (STMs) and modified prediction equations in AISC 360, ACI 318, and Eurocode 4 were developed to estimate the axial load capacity of UHSTCs at low temperatures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.347-359
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• 2020

The objective of this study is to experimentally scrutinize the axial performance of built-up concrete filled steel tube (CFT) columns composed of steel plates. In this case, the main parameters cross section types, compressive strength of filled concrete, and the effect of welding lines. Welded built-up steel box columns are fabricated by connecting two pieces of cold-formed U-shaped or four pieces of L-shaped thin steel plates with continuous penetration groove welding line located at mid-depth of stub column section. Furthermore, traditional square steel box sections with no welding lines are investigated for the comparison of axial behavior between the generic and build-up cross sections. Accordingly, 20 stub columns with thickness and height of 2 and 300 mm have been manufactured. As a result, welding lines in built-up specimens act as stiffeners because have higher strength and thickness in comparison to the plates. Subsequently, by increasing the welding lines, the load bearing capacity of stub columns has been increased in comparison to the traditional series. Furthermore, for specimens with the same confinement steel tubes and concrete core, increment of B/t ratio has reduced the ductility and axial strength.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.179-200
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• 2008

This paper reports the results of a recent experimental study into the behavior of welded fin-plate connections to both hollow and concrete filled tubular (CFT) columns under shear. Experiments have been performed at both ambient and elevated temperatures with the aid of an electric kiln. The observed failure modes include fracture of the fin plate and tearing out of the tube around the welds. By considering the results of previously published research, the current design method for similar connections under purely tensile load, in CIDECT Guide 9, based on a deformation limit of 3% of the tube width is shown to be inadequate when evaluating the ultimate strength of such connections. By comparing the results from the current test program which failed in the fin-plate with Eurocode guidance for failure of a fin-plate alone under shear and bending load it is shown that the column face influences the overall connection strength regardless of failure mode. Concrete in-fill is observed to significantly increase the strength of connections over empty specimens, and circular column specimens were observed to exhibit greater strength than similarly proportioned square columns. A finite element (F.E.) model, developed using ABAQUS, is presented and validated against the experimental results in order that extensive parametric tests may be subsequently performed. When validating the model against elevated temperature tests it was found that using reduction factors suggested in published research for the specific steel grades improved results over applying the generic Eurocode elevated temperature steel strength reduction factors.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.803-818
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• 2020

Semi-rigid connections with blind bolts could solve the difficulty that traditional high strength bolts were unavailable to splice a steel/composite beam to a closed section column. However, insufficient investigations have focused on the performance of semi-rigid connection to square concrete filled double-skin steel tubular (CFDST) columns. In this paper, a component model was developed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of semi-rigid composite connections to CFDST columns considering the stiffness and strength of column face in compression and column web in shear which were determined by the load transfer mechanism and superstition method. Then, experimental investigations on blind bolted composite joints to square CFDST columns were conducted to validate the accuracy of the component model. Dominant failure modes of the connections were analyzed and this type of joint behaved semi-rigid manner. More importantly, strain responses of CFDST column web and tubes verified that stiffness and strength of column face in compression and column web in shear significantly affected the connection mechanical behavior owing to the hollow part of the cross-section for CFDST column. The experimental and analytical results showed that the CFDST column to steel-concrete composite beam semi-rigid joints could be employed for the assembled structures in high intensity seismic regions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제38권5호
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• pp.497-521
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• 2021

In this study, an effective numerical method is introduced for nonlinear inelastic analyses of rectangular concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) frames for the first time. A steel-concrete composite fiber beam-column element model is developed that considers material, and geometric nonlinearities, and residual stresses. This is achieved by using stability functions combined with integration points along the element length to capture the spread of plasticity over the composite cross-section along the element length. Additionally, a multi-spring element with a zero-length is employed to model the nonlinear semi-rigid beam-to-column connections in CFST frame models. To solve the nonlinear equilibrium equations, the generalized displacement control algorithm is adopted. The accuracy of the proposed method is firstly verified by a large number of experiments of CFST members subjected to various loading conditions. Subsequently, the proposed method is applied to investigate the nonlinear inelastic behavior of rectangular CFST frames with fully rigid, semi-rigid, and hinged connections. The accuracy of the predicted results and the efficiency pertaining to the computation time of the proposed method are demonstrated in comparison with the ABAQUS software. The proposed numerical method may be efficiently utilized in practical designs for advanced analysis of the rectangular CFST structures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.759-772
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• 2022

Concrete-filled double skinned steel tubular (CFDST) columns have been used to construct modern structures such as tall buildings and bridges as well as infrastructures as they provide better, lesser weight, and greater stiffness in structural performance than conventional reinforced concrete or steel members. Different shapes of CFDST columns may be needed to satisfy the architectural and aesthetic criteria. In the study, three-dimensional FE simulations of circular and elliptical CFDST columns under axial compression were developed and verified through the experimental test data from the perspectives of full load-displacement histories, ultimate axial strengths, and failure modes. The verified FE models were used to investigate and compare the structural performance of CFDST columns with circular and elliptical cross-section shapes by evaluating the overall load-deformation curves, interaction stress-deformation responses, and composite actions of the column. At last, the accuracy of available design models in predicting the ultimate axial strengths of CFST columns were investigated. Research results showed that circular and elliptical CFDST column behaviors were generally similar. The overall structural performance of circular CFDST columns was relatively improved compared to the elliptical CFDST column.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.457-471
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• 2023

To make up for the performance weaknesses of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), expand the application range of RAC, and alleviate the environmental problems caused by excessive exploitation of natural coarse aggregates (NCA), this study proposes a basalt fiber-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (BFRRAC)-filled square steel tubular columns that combines two modification methods of steel tube and fiber, which may greatly enhance the mechanical properties of RAC. The axial compression performance for BFRRAC-filled square steel tubular columns was reported during this study. Seven specimens with different replacement ratios of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), length-diameter ratios, along with basalt fiber (BF) contents were designed as well as fabricated for performing axial compression test. For each specimen, the whole failure process as well as mode of specimen were discovered, subsequently the load-axial displacement curve has obtained, after which the mechanical properties was explained. A finite element analysis model for specimens under axial compression was then established. Subsequently, based on this model, the factors affecting axial compression performance for BFRRAC-filled square steel tubes were extended and analyzed, after which the corresponding design suggestion was proposed. The results show that in the columns with length-diameter ratios of 5 and 8, bulging failure was presented, and the RAC was severely crushed at the bulging area of the specimen. The replacement ratio of RCA as well as BF content little affected specimen's peak load (less than 5%). As the content of BF enhanced from 0 kg/m³ to 4 kg/m³, the dissipation factor and ductility coefficients increased by 10.2% and 5.6%, respectively, with a wide range.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제26권4호
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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.