Chapter 2 - Experimental tests

Abstract

More than 40 years of research on concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) members and concrete-filled double-skin steel tubular (CFDST) members have proven them to be superior structural members compared to conventional bare steel and reinforced concrete members. Various researchers aimed to understand the fundamental behavior of steel-concrete composite members through experimental investigations. The failure mechanism, geometric and material properties, and size effect are common topics between most conducted studies. Recently, with the increasing use of CFST/CFDST members in practice, problems related to the corrosion of steel tubes, preloading of members during the construction process, and long-term service loading conditions have attracted increasing interest among researchers. Stiffening schemes for improving the mechanical performance of members are also one of the interesting research topics. In this chapter, the structural behavior of CFST/CFDST members and the influences of key parameters on their overall performance are comprehensively discussed through the performed experimental studies over the last decades. Understanding the behavior of structural members is a crucial step in the development of design codes.