Influence of Nano SiO2 on Structural Behavior of Concrete in-Filled Steel Tube Columns

Abstract

The present construction industry requirement is more economical and speedy building the use of Light Gauge steel column infill with concrete that satisfies the excellent strength and improves ductility. Among the various infill materials, Nano SiO2 concrete is gaining attention in the composite column. The present work aims to investigate the comparative structural behavior of different Light gauge steel columns subjected to concentric loading. Light gauge steel rectangular hollow columns, plain and Nano SiO2 Concrete In-filled light gauge steel rectangular columns were considered for this research. The light gauge steel column dimension used for the experimental investigation is 80 mm × 40 mm size with 1.5 m length and 1.2 mm thickness. The ratio of width to thickness considered for the study is 66.67. Three different rectangular columns structural behavior such as load vs. axial shortening, deflection, strain characterization, and failure modes were studied from the experimental results under linear and non-linear stages. Further, the strength capacity obtained from the experiments is compared with theoretical strength derived from codes such as EC4, ACI, and BS5400. Results showed that a nano SiO2 in-filled concrete column enhances both strength and ductility, under axial load. The buckling resistance of nano SiO2 concrete in-filled steel columns was 4% higher than the plain concrete in-filled steel columns. The strength of plain concrete in-filled steel columns was 2.2 times more than the hollow steel column.