Experimental Investigation to Evaluate the Behavior of Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Columns under the Effect of the Distribution of the ‎Total Steel Area between the Internal Concrete Core and the External Steel Tube

Abstract

Composite columns are generally installed in high-rise buildings and bridges. As well as being smaller and lighter than conventional reinforced concrete columns, composite columns offer high efficiency and ductility. In this research, experimental and analytical studies were carried out to investigate the optimal distribution of the ‎total steel area of the Concrete-Filled Hollow Steel Tube (CFHST) columns; the experimental program included 20 CFHST columns. ‎The main variables of the experimental study were the distribution of the total steel cross-sectional area over the internal concrete core (steel reinforcement) and the external steel tube, the cross-sectional shape, the width-to-breadth ratio t/b, and the presence or absence of shear connectors. In addition, using equations of different codes, comparison was conducted between the experimental and analytical results. For a constant steel cross-sectional area, the use of internal steel bars and external steel tubes, together with the use of shear connectors, was found to exhibit a better ultimate load capacity, stiffness, and ductility for the CFHST columns.