• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.291-301
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• 2019

Pure torsion loading conditions were not frequently occurred in practical engineering, but the torsional researches were important since it's the basis of mechanical property researches under complex loading. Then a 3D finite element model with precise material constitutive models was established, and the effectiveness was verified with test data. Parametric studies with varying factors as steel yield strength, concrete strength and sectional height-width ratio, were performed. Internal stress state and the interaction effect between encased steel tube and the core concrete were analyzed. Results indicated that due to the confinement effect between steel tube and core concrete, the torsional strength of CFT columns was greatly improved comparing to plain concrete columns. The steel ratio would greatly influence the torque share between the steel tube and the core concrete. Then the torsional strength calculation formulas for core concrete and the whole CFT column were proposed. The proposed formula could be simpler and easier to use with guaranteed accuracy. Related design codes were more conservative than the proposed formula, but the proposed formula presented more satisfactory agreement with experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.81-96
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• 2019

The behavior of a new Three-Tube Buckling-Restrained Brace (TTBRB) with circumference pre-stress (${\sigma}_{{\theta},pre}$) in core tube are investigated through a verified finite element model. The TTBRB is composed of one core tube and two restraining tubes. The core tube is in the middle to provide the axial stiffness, to carry the axial load and to dissipate the earthquake energy. The two restraining tubes are at inside and outside of the core tube, respectively, to restrain the global and local buckling of the core tube. Based on the yield criteria of fringe fiber, a design method for restraining tubes is proposed. The applicability of the proposed design equations are verified by TTBRBs with different radius-thickness ratios, with different gap widths between core tube and restraining tubs, and with different levels of ${\sigma}_{{\theta},pre}$. The outer and inner tubes will restrain the deformation of the core tube in radius direction, which causes circumference stress (${\sigma}_{\theta}$) in the core tube. Together with the ${\sigma}_{{\theta},pre}$ in the core tube that is applied through interference fit of the three tubes, the yield strength of the core tube in the axial direction is improved from 160 MPa to 235 MPa. Effects of gap width between the core tube and restraining tubes, and ${\sigma}_{{\theta},pre}$ on hysteretic behavior of TTBRBs are presented. Analysis results showed that the gap width and the ${\sigma}_{{\theta},pre}$ can significantly affect the hysteretic behavior of a TTBRB.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.70 no.1
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• pp.13-31
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• 2019

A nonlinear finite element model (FEM) using ATENA-3D software to simulate the axially compressive behavior of circular steel tube confined concrete (CSTCC) columns infilled with ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) was presented in this paper. Some modifications to the material type "CC3DNonlinCementitious2User" of UHPC without and with the incorporation of steel fibers (UHPFRC) in compression and tension were adopted in FEM. The predictions of utimate strength and axial load versus axial strain curves obtained from FEM were in a good agreement with the test results of eighteen tested columns. Based on the results of FEM, the load distribution on the steel tube and the concrete core was derived for each modeled column. Furthermore, the effect of bonding between the steel tube and the concrete core was clarified by the change of friction coefficient in the material type "CC3DInterface" in FEM. The numerical results revealed that the increase in the friction coefficient leads to a greater contribution from the steel tube, a decrease in the ultimate load and an increase in the magnitude of the loss of load capacity. By comparing the results of FEM with experimental results, the appropriate friction coefficient between the steel tube and the concrete core was defined as 0.3 to 0.6. In addition to the numerical evaluation, eighteen analytical models for confined concrete in the literature were used to predict the peak confined strength to assess their suitability. To cope with CSTCC stub and intermediate columns, the equations for estimating the lateral confining stress and the equations for considering the slenderness in the selected models were proposed. It was found that all selected models except for EC2 (2004) gave a very good prediction. Among them, the model of Bing et al. (2001) was the best predictor.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2022

Concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs) are increasingly used as composite sections in structures owing to their excellent load bearing capacity. Therefore, predicting the mechanical behavior of CFST sections under axial compression loading is vital for design purposes. This paper presents the first study on the nonlinear analysis of heated CFSTs with high-strength concrete core containing steel fiber and waste tire rubber under axial compression loading. CFSTs had steel fibers with 0, 1, and 1.5% volume fractions and 0, 5, and 10% rubber particles as sand alternative material. They were subjected to 20, 250, 500, and 750℃ temperatures. Using flow rule and analytical analysis, a model is developed to predict the load bearing capacity of steel tube, and hoop strain-axial strain relationship, and axial stress-volumetric strain relationship of CFSTs. An elastic-plastic analysis method is applied to determine the axial and hoop stresses of the steel tube, considering elastic, yield, and strain hardening stages of steel in its stress-strain curve. The axial stress in the concrete core is determined as the difference between the total experimental axial stress and the axial stress of steel tube obtained from modeling. The results show that steel tube in CFSTs under 750℃ exhibits a higher load bearing contribution compared to those under 20, 250, and 500℃. It is also found that the ratio of load bearing capacity of steel tube at peak point to the load bearing capacity of CFST at peak load is noticeable such that this ratio is in the ranges of 0.21-0.33 and 0.31-0.38 for the CFST specimens with a steel tube thickness of 2 and 3.5 mm, respectively. In addition, after the steel tube yielding, the load bearing capacity of the tube decreases due to the reduction of its axial stiffness and the increase of hoop strain rate, which is in the range of about 20 to 40%.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.263-273
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• 2017

In this paper, a finite element model (FEM) in ATENA-3D software was constructed to investigate the behavior of circular ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) filled steel tube stub columns (UHPC-FSTCs) under concentric loading on concrete core. The "CC3DNonLinCementitious2User" material type for concrete in ATENA-3D software with some modifications of material laws, was adopted to model for UHPC core with consideration the confinement effect. The experimental results obtained from Schneider (2006) were then employed to verify the accuracy of FEM. Extensive parametric analysis was also conducted to examine the influence of concrete compressive strength, steel tube thickness and steel yield strength on the compressive behavior of short circular UHPC-FSTCs. It can be observed that the columns with thicker steel tube show better strength and ductility, the sudden drop of load after initial peak load can be prevented. Based on the regression analysis of the results from parametric study, simplified formulae for predicting ultimate loads and strains were proposed and verified by comparing with previous analytical models, design codes and experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.78 no.3
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• pp.231-253
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• 2021

Pure bending loading conditions are not frequently occurred in practical engineering, but the flexural researches are important since it's the basis of mechanical property researches under complex loading. Hence, the objective of this paper is to investigate the flexural behavior of concrete-filled rectangular steel tube (CFRT) through combined experimental and numerical studies. Flexural tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical performance of CFRT under bending. The load vs. deflection curves during the loading process was analyzed in detail. All the specimens behaved in a very ductile manner. Besides, based on the experimental result, the composite action between the steel tube and core concrete was studies and examined. Furthermore, the feasibility and accuracy of the numerical method was verified by comparing the computed results with experimental observations. The full curves analysis on the moment vs. curvature curves was further conducted, where the development of the stress and strain redistribution in the steel tube and core concrete was clarified comprehensively. It should be noted that there existed bond slip between the core concrete and steel tube during the loading process. And then, an extensive parametric study, including the steel strength, concrete strength, steel ratio and aspect ratio, was performed. Finally, design formula to calculate the ultimate moment and flexural stiffness of CFRTs were presented. The predicted results showed satisfactory agreement with the experimental and FE results. Additionally, the difference between the experimental/FE and predicted results using the related design codes were illustrated.

• 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.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.125-138
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• 2018

The research on the confinement behavior of ultra high performance concrete without and with the use of steel fibers (UHPC and UHPFRC) has been extremely limited. In previous studies, authors experimentally investigated the axially compressive behavior of circular steel tube confined concrete (STCC) short and intermediate columns with the employment of UHPC and UHPFRC. Under loading on only the concrete core, the confinement effect induced by the steel tube was shown to significantly enhance the utimate stress and its corresponding strain of the concrete core. Therefore, this paper develops a simplified stress - strain model for circular STCC columns using UHPC and UHPFRC with compressive strength ranging between 150 MPa and 200 MPa. Based on the regression analysis of previous test results, formulae for predicting peak confined stress and its corresponding strain are proposed. These proposed formulae are subsequently compared against some previous empirical formulae available in the literature to assess their accuracy. Finally, the simplified stress - strain model is verified by comparison with the test results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.47-64
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• 2003

In a nonlinear finite element study on the mechanical behavior of simple beam connections to continuous concrete-filled steel tube columns, two principally different connection types were analyzed: one with plates attached to the outside of the tube wall, relying on shear transfer, and one with an extended plate inserted through the steel section to ensure bearing on the concrete core. The load was applied partly at the connection within the column length and partly at the top, representing the load from upper stories of a multistory building. The primary focus was on the increased demand for load transfer to ensure composite action when concrete with higher compressive strength is used. The results obtained from the analyses showed that the design bond strength derived from push tests is very conservative, mainly due to the high frictional shear resistance offered by pinching and contraction effects caused by connection rotation. However, with higher concrete strength the demand for load transfer increases, and is hard to fulfill for higher loads when connections are attached only to the steel section. Instead, the connection should penetrate into the concrete core to distribute load to the concrete by direct bearing.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.889-910
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• 2012

Because of the heavy demand of confining steel to restore the column ductility in seismic regions, it is more efficient to confine these columns by hollow steel tube to form concrete-filled-steel-tube (CFST) column. Compared with transverse reinforcing steel, steel tube provides a stronger and more uniform confining pressure to the concrete core, and reduces the steel congestion problem for better concrete placing quality. However, a major shortcoming of CFST columns is the imperfect steel-concrete interface bonding occurred at the elastic stage as steel dilates more than concrete in compression. This adversely affects the confining effect and decrease the elastic modulus. To resolve the problem, it is proposed in this study to use external steel confinement in the forms of rings and ties to restrict the dilation of steel tube. For verification, a series of uni-axial compression test was performed on some CFST columns with external steel rings and ties. From the results, it was found that: (1) Both rings and ties improved the stiffness of the CFST columns and (2) the rings improve significantly the axial strength of the CFST columns while the ties did not improve the axial strength. Lastly, a theoretical model for predicting the axial strength of confined CFST columns will be developed.