Seismic behaviors of T-shaped steel-concrete-steel sandwich composite walls using enhanced C-channels

Abstract

This paper developed the T-shaped steel-concrete-steel sandwich composite (TSCSSC) walls using enhanced C-channels, and investigated their seismic behaviors through three cyclic loading tests. The parameters studied in the cyclic loading test programme included wall thickness of the steel tube in boundary CFST columns and aspect ratio of TSCSSC wall specimens. The test results showed that TSCSSC walls exhibited flexural failure modes characterized by infilled-concrete crushing, tensile fracture of steel tubes, weld seams, and local buckling of steel faceplates and tubes. The skeleton hysteretic P-Δ curves of TSCSSC walls exhibited a typical three-stage working mechanism, i.e., elastic, nonlinear development, and recession stage. Increasing the thickness of steel tubes in the web wall improved the strength and energy dissipation capacities. Reducing the aspect ratio of TSCSSC walls improved strength and stiffness, but exhibited lower peak bending resistance owing to the effect of acting shear force on wall-base cross section. Finally, prediction equations were developed to estimate the peak bending resistance of TSCSSC walls. Validations against reported test results confirmed their limited prediction errors (≤10%). • T-shaped steel-concrete-steel sandwich composite (TSCSSC) walls with enhanced C-channels is proposed. • TSCSSC walls exhibited flexural failure and plump hysteretic load-drift behavior. • Increasing the wall-thickness of boundary steel tube improves seismic behaviors of TSCSSC walls. • TSCSSC walls with low aspect ratio failed in combined flexure and shear mode. • Developed prediction equations predict well the bending resistance of TSCSSC walls.