• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.375-388
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• 2019

This paper aims to investigate the axial load behavior and stability strength of square tubed steel-reinforced concrete (TSRC) columns. Unlike concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) column, the outer steel tube of a TSRC column is mainly used to provide confinement to the core concrete. Ten specimens were tested under axial compression, and the main test variables included length-to-width ratio (L/B) of the specimens, width-to-thickness ratio (B/t) of the steel tubes, and with or without stud shear connectors on the steel sections. The failure mode, ultimate strength and load-tube stress response of each specimen were summarized and analyzed. The test results indicated that the axial load carried by square tube due to friction and bond of the interface increased with the increase of L/B ratio, while the confinement effect of tube was just the opposite. Parametric studies were performed through ABAQUS based on the test results, and the feasibility of current design codes has also been examined. Finally, a method for calculating the ultimate strength of this composite column was proposed, in which the slenderness effect on the tube confinement was considered.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.123-137
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• 2023

To fully understand shear mechanisms and composite effects of circular concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns, systematic numerical investigations were conducted in this paper by improved finite element models. The triaxial plastic-damage constitutive model of the concrete and the interactions between the concrete and steel tube were considered. Afterwards, the critical and upper bound shear span ratios of the circular CFST column under lateral shear loading were determined. The composite effects between the two materials were analyzed by comparing the shear resistance with plain concrete column and hollow steel tube. In addition, a method that predicts the shear bearing capacity of a circular CFST column was proposed. The confining effects on the concrete core and the restraining effects on the steel tube were considered in this method. The proposed formula can predict more accurate results than the methods in different codes and references.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.469-481
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• 2017

This paper aims to analytically investigate the effect of shear stress at the concrete-steel interface on the mechanical behavior of the circular steel tube-confined concrete (STCC) stub columns with active and passive confinement subjected to axial compression. Nonlinear 3D finite element models divided into the four groups, i.e. circumferential-grooved, talc-coated, lubricated, and normal groups, with active and passive confinement were developed. An innovative method was used to simulate the actively-confined specimens, and then, the results of the finite element models were compared with those of the experiments previously conducted by the authors. It was revealed that both the predicted peak compressive strength and stress-strain curves have good agreement with the corresponding values measured for the confined columns. Then, the mechanical properties of the active and passive specimens such as the concrete-steel interaction, longitudinal and hoop stresses of the steel tube, confining pressure applied to the concrete core, and compressive stress-strain curves were analyzed. Furthermore, a parametric study was performed to explore the effects of the concrete compressive strength, steel tube diameter-to-wall thickness ratio, and prestressing level on the compressive behavior of the STCC columns. The results indicate that reducing or removing the interfacial shear stress in the active and passive specimens leads to an increase in the hoop stress and confining pressure, while the longitudinal stress along the steel tube height experiences a decrease. Moreover, prestressing via the presented method is capable of improving the compressive behavior of STCC columns.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.323-337
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• 2017

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive experimental investigation on the compressive behaviour of steel tube-confined concrete (STCC) stub columns with active and passive confinement. To create active confinement in STCC columns, an innovative technique is used in which steel tube is laterally pre-tensioned while the concrete core is simultaneously pre-compressed by applying pressure on fresh concrete. A total of 135 STCC specimens with active and passive confinement are tested under axial compression load and their compressive strength, ultimate strain capacity, axial and lateral stress-strain curves and failure mode are evaluated. The test variables include concrete compressive strength, outer diameter to wall thickness ratio of steel tube and prestressing level. It is shown that applying active confinement on STCC specimens can considerably improve their mechanical properties. However, applying higher prestressing levels and keeping the applied pressure for a long time do not considerably affect the mechanical properties of actively confined specimens. Based on the results of this study, new empirical equations are proposed to estimate the axial strength and ultimate strain capacity of STCC stub columns with active and passive confinement.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.693-703
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• 2018

To better understand the influence of hollow ratio on the hollow concrete-filled circular steel tubular (H-CFT) stub columns under axial compression and to propose the design formula of ultimate bearing capacity for H-CFT stub columns, 3D finite element analysis and laboratory experiments were completed to obtain the load-deformation curves and the failure modes of H-CFT stub columns. The changes of the confinement effect between core concrete and steel tube with different hollow ratios were discussed based on the finite element results. The result shows that the axial stress of concrete and hoop stress of steel tube in H-CFT stub columns are decreased with the increase of hollow ratio. AfteGr the yield of steel, the reduction rate of longitudinal stress and the increase rate of circumferential stress for the steel tube slowed down. The confinement effect from steel tube on concrete also weakened slowly with the increase of hollow ratio. Based on the limit equilibrium method, a simplified formula of ultimate bearing capacity for the axially loaded H-CFT stub columns was proposed. The predicted results showed satisfactory agreement with the experimental and numerical results.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.24-28
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated whether the anhysteretic demagnetization process would be applicable to remove a complicated magnetization of a steel tube as a part of the experimental earlier study for a deperming of naval vessel. The magnetic tube used in this study was a 10cm-long and 1cm-diameter steel tube, and magnetized with a E-shape ferrite core to form a nonuniform magnetization in it. In the anhysteretic demagnetization process, a dc magnetic field applied along the longitudinal direction of the tube decreased from ${\pm}$3kA/m to zero-field with the step of ${\pm}$300A/m. At the same time, an ac bias magnetic field with the frequency of 60Hz and the field intensity of 300A/m was excited along the circumstantial direction of the tube. It was found that the anhysteretic process was useful to demagnetize a small-object like a steel tube from the experimental results showing the residual magnetization reduced over 90%.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.675-689
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• 2018

Buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) have received considerable attention in seismic design of various types of structures. Conventional BRBs are composed of steel core and surrounding steel tube filled with concrete. Eliminating the steel tube can be advantageous to BRB. In this study the idea of replacing the steel tube by CFRP layers in BRBs is proposed. The advantages of this type of BRB are mentioned, and its design criteria are introduced. The construction procedure of two BRB specimens is described. The specimens are uniaxially tested based on moderate, and severe earthquake levels and the performance of the specimens is investigated. The backbone curves resulted from the hysteresis curve are presented for the design proposes. The results of this study show that CFRP layers can effectively provide the expected performance of the encasing, and the proposed BRB can be considered a viable alternative to the conventional BRBs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.605-628
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• 2016

The energy absorption characteristics of diamond core sandwich cylindrical columns under axial crushing process depend greatly on the amount of material which participates in the plastic deformation. Both the single-objective and multi-objective optimizations are performed for columns under axial crushing load with core thickness and helix pitch of the honeycomb core as design variables. Models are optimized by multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm to achieve maximum specific energy absorption (SEA) capacity and minimum peak crushing force (PCF). Results show that optimization improves the energy absorption characteristics with constrained and unconstrained peak crashing load. Also, it is concluded that the aluminum tube has a better energy absorption capability rather than steel tube at a certain peak crushing force. The results justify that the interaction effects between the honeycomb and column walls greatly improve the energy absorption efficiency. A ranking technique for order preference (TOPSIS) is then used to sort the non-dominated solutions by the preference of decision makers. That is, a multi-criteria decision which consists of MOPSO and TOPSIS is presented to find out a compromise solution for decision makers. Furthermore, local and global sensitivity analyses are performed to assess the effect of design variable values on the SEA and PCF functions in design domain. Based on the sensitivity analysis results, it is concluded that for both models, the helix pitch of the honeycomb core has greater effect on the sensitivity of SEA, while, the core thickness has greater effect on the sensitivity of PCF.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.545-556
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• 2017

The tubed steel reinforced concrete (SRC) column is a composite column in which the outer steel tube is mainly used to provide confinement on the core concrete. This paper presents experimental and analytical studies on the behavior of circular tubed SRC (TSRC) columns subjected to axial compression. Eight circular TSRC columns were tested to investigate the effects of length-to-diameter ratio (L/D) of the specimens, diameter-to-thickness ratio (D/t) of the steel tubes, and use of stud shear connectors on the steel sections. Elastic-plastic analysis on the steel tubes was used to investigate the mechanism of confinement on the core concrete. The test results indicated that the tube confinement increased the strength and deformation capacity for both short and slender columns, and the effects on strength were more pronounced for short columns. A nonlinear finite element (FE) model was developed using ABAQUS, in which the nonlinear material behavior and initial geometric imperfection were included. Good agreement was achieved between the predicted results using the FE model and the test results. The test and FE results were compared with the predicted strengths calculated by Eurocode 4 and the AISC Standard. Based on the analytical results, a new design method for this composite column was proposed.

• 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.