Compressive behavior of profiled double skin composite wall

Abstract

Profiled composite slab has been widely used in civil engineering due to its structural merits. The extension of this concept to the bearing wall forms the profiled composite wall, which consists of two external profiled steel plates and infill concrete. This paper investigates the structural behavior of this type of wall under axial compression. A series of compression tests on profiled composite walls consisting of varied types of profiled steel plate and edge confinement have been carried out. The test results are evaluated in terms of failure modes, load-axial displacement curves, strength index, ductility ratio, and load-strain response. It is found that the type of profiled steel plate has influence on the axial capacity and strength index, while edge confinement affects the failure mode and ductility. The test data are compared with the predictions by modern codes such as AISC 360, BS EN 1994-1-1, and CECS 159. It shows that BS EN 1994-1-1 and CECS 159 significantly overestimate the actual compressive capacity of profiled composite walls, while AISC 360 offers reasonable predictions. A method is then proposed, which takes into account the local buckling of profiled steel plates and the reduction in the concrete resistance due to profiling. The predictions show good correlation with the test results.