Steel-concrete Composite Walls Research Articles

Axial compressive behavior of multi-celled corrugated-plate CFST walls: Tests and numerical simulations

In recent years, steel-concrete composite walls have been widely used in practical engineering, primarily attributed to their exceptional properties. This paper proposed a novel type of composite wall called the multi-celled corrugated-plate concrete-filled steel tubular (MC-CFST) wall, which consisted of corrugated cells and interval flat plates connected alternately. Axial compression tests involving 14 MC-CFST wall specimens were performed to investigate their compressive resistant behavior. According to the test results, the steel and concrete showed good composite action. It was found that all specimens exhibited ductile failure with residual resistance-to-ultimate resistance ratios varying within the range of 0.503 to 0.672. Local buckling occurred in the interval flat plates, corrugated steel plates, and boundary flat plates. In addition, a finite element (FE) model was established and validated. The results showed that the vertical normal stress of concrete in the trough section was obviously enhanced, and the load-bearing capacity of the MC-CFST wall was primarily carried by the concrete. Moreover, a parametric analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of geometric dimensions and material strengths. The numerical results were then compared with the calculation results of existing codes. It was found that the design formulas in existing codes could not accurately calculate the load-bearing capacity of the MC-CFST wall. Finally, a design formula with good prediction accuracy was suggested, which could be used to predict the ultimate resistance of the MC-CFST wall.

Stability design of multi-celled corrugated-plate CFST walls under combined axial and in-plane bending loads

Multi-celled corrugated-plate concrete-filled steel tubular (MC-CFST) walls are innovative steel-concrete composite walls comprising horizontally arranged corrugated steel plates, interval flat steel plates, and infilled concrete. Due to the significantly improved out-of-plane stiffness, the corrugated steel plate provides a considerable confinement effect on the infilled concrete, which enhances the structural efficiency and cost-effectiveness of MC-CFST walls. In this study, the stability performance of MC-CFST walls under combined axial and in-plane bending loads was investigated through extensive numerical simulations. A refined finite element (FE) model was established and validated using existing test results. Moreover, a formula for calculating the bending capacity of MC-CFST walls was also derived and validated against FE results. Additionally, parametric analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of various factors such as the wall width, wall height, concrete strength, steel strength, and width of individual corrugated cells on the global stability performance. It was found that the stability performance was predominantly affected by the overall width of the wall rather than the width of the individual corrugated cells, with an increase in wall dimensions generally diminishing the stability performance. Furthermore, increasing the concrete strength improved the stability performance, while increasing the steel strength had a negative effect. Finally, a design formula was proposed for evaluating the bearing capacity and stability performance of MC-CFST walls under combined axial and in-plane bending loads. The formula demonstrated good agreement with the FE results, and it could provide a valuable reference for practical designs of MC-CFST walls.

Shear strength of steel-concrete composite walls (aspect ratio 2.0) with steel U-SECTION boundary element

A steel-concrete composite wall with steel U-section boundary elements was developed for enhanced structural performance and constructability. In the present study, cyclic lateral loading tests were performed to investigate the shear strength of the proposed walls. Test parameters were the type of boundary reinforcement (rebars or steel U-sections), sectional area of steel U-sections, and type (horizontal rebars, steel plate beams, or steel faceplates) and spacing of web reinforcement. The test results showed that the boundary steel U-sections restrained diagonal tension cracking and shear sliding in the web. Further, the steel U-sections restrained cracking and crushing of the boundary concrete, confining the boundary zone. For this reason, the shear strength of the composite wall was 35 % greater than that of the counterpart reinforced concrete wall with conventional boundary reinforcement. The use of steel plate beams and steel faceplates further increased shear strength. Existing reinforced concrete design methods underestimated the shear strength of the composite walls, neglecting the contribution of steel U-sections. The tested shear strengths exceeded the web crushing strengths of ACI 318, even though the horizontal web reinforcement ratio was less than the code-based maximum ratio.

State-of-the-art review on steel-concrete composite walls

Steel-concrete composite walls, valued for their capacity to combine the strengths of steel and concrete, have become a prevalent construction choice. During the past few decades, the performance of steel-concrete composite walls has been studied by means of structural tests, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulation. Different types of steel-concrete composite walls have been proposed by researchers to satisfy miscellaneous structural requirements. Meanwhile, new forms were continually being developed to further improve the mechanical performance. This review paper examines research conducted over the past few years on these versatile structural elements. The paper categorizes steel-concrete composite walls according to the arrangement of steel plates and concrete, along with the configurations of steel plates. It delves into the unique characteristics of each type and analyzes their performance under various loading conditions, including axial, cyclic, shear, fire, dynamic, impact, and joint loads. Additionally, existing design recommendations for these walls are summarized. To conclude, the paper offers insights into potential future developments in steel-concrete composite wall technology.

Axial compressive behavior of low steel–concrete composite walls with multi-partition steel tubes and concrete

Herein an innovative steel–concrete composite walls (SCW) with multi-partition steel tubes and concrete was proposed, and the axial compressive behavior for eliminating the overall stability was firstly investigated based on three axial compression tests. The test parameters included overall height and width-to-thickness ratio of single cavity. The test results validated that low SCW component obtained considerably large axial compressive strength and axial stiffness. Experimental observations demonstrated that under the axial compression, SCW specimens did not occur apparent overall stability, and developed the step-like multi-wave local buckling in the free-weld region of steel faceplate and core-filled concrete crush at the buckling location. Based on the test results, a refined finite element model (FEM) of SCW component was built and validated, and the influences of span-to-height ratio, faceplate thickness, concrete strength, and steel strength were evaluated according to the parametric analysis. The axial compressive strength and axial stiffness of the SCW component were enhanced significantly with increasing span-to-height ratio, steel faceplate thickness, concrete strength, and steel strength. Theoretical equations were proposed based on the SCW component mechanism and parametric simulated results, and the proposed equations offer accurate predictions on the peak axial compressive resistance.

Axial compressive performance and design of multi-celled corrugated-plate CFST walls

The corrugated steel plate has been widely used in steel and composite structures due to its large out-of-plane flexural stiffness. An innovative type of steel–concrete composite wall using corrugated steel plates called multi-celled corrugated-plate concrete-filled steel tubular (MC-CFST) wall has been proposed recently. In order to study its performance under axial compression, numerical analysis was conducted in this paper. A refined finite element (FE) model was established and validated by previous test results. The vertical and out-of-plane normal stresses of concrete and strains of corrugated steel plates were analyzed, indicating that the corrugated steel plates had a good confinement effect on the infilled concrete. Then, a parametric analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of various parameters on the axial compressive performance of MC-CFST walls. The main parameters included corrugated cell width, wall depth, thicknesses of corrugated steel plates and steel tubes, concrete and steel strengths and corrugation amplitude. Finally, the equivalent confinement factor ξw was defined to evaluate the confinement effect of corrugated steel plates on the infilled concrete. On this basis, a design formula for calculating the ultimate resistance of the MC-CFST wall was proposed. The proposed formula exhibited good agreement with experimental and numerical results, and it could provide valuable references for the design of MC-CFST walls in practice.

Performance of steel–concrete composite walls with recycled aggregate concrete under low-velocity lateral impact loading

This paper investigates the impact-resistant behaviours of steel–concrete (SC) composite walls experimentally and numerically, which consist of two outer steel plates and infilled recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). Totally eight SC walls were designed and fabricated with different coarse recycled aggregate (CRA) content and steel plate thicknesses. Drop-hammer impact testing was first performed to obtain the failure mode, impact force and deformation. Test results indicated that the impact resistance behaviour of SC walls enhanced considerably with a decrease in CRA content. The tie bars combined with studs were effective to avoid the separation of steel plate from the concrete core. Afterwards, the finite element (FE) models were developed and calibrated, and then used to obtain more information on the full-range motion response, development of stress and strain, and energy absorption. In addition, the influences of different parameters, including the CRA content, material strength, steel plate ratio, tie-bar spacing, impact energy and axial load ratio on the impact resistance performance were assessed. Finally, the displacement response of SC composite walls with RAC was predicted using single-degree of freedom (SDOF) approach.

Experimental study on axial resistant behavior of multi-celled corrugated-plate CFST walls

Multi-celled corrugated-plate concrete-filled steel tubular (MC-CFST) wall is an innovative type of steel–concrete composite wall for achieving lower steel consumption and higher load-resistance efficiency. Experiments on 14 specimens were conducted to investigate the performance of MC-CFST walls under axial compression. The key parameters included wall depth, corrugated cell width and corrugated plate form. The specimens exhibited good ductility and showed similar failure patterns with local buckling on steel tubes and corrugated plates. By analyzing the test results, failure modes and ultimate and residual resistances of the specimens were discussed in detail. In addition, the performance of corrugated plates during the whole loading process was analyzed based on the measured strain results. It can be found that the vertical performance of corrugated plates is the combination of the accordion effect and vertical compression effect, and the horizontal performance is the combination of the overall expansion effect and beam effect. A method for calculating the critical width of corrugated cells was presented. Moreover, the test results were compared with the typical equations specified in several existing design codes. It was found that AISC 360-16, EC4-2004 and GB50936-2014 could safely predict the ultimate resistance of MC-CFST walls, among which the results of GB50936-2014 were the closest to the experimental results.

Determining experimental ductile behavior of composite walls considering second-order effects: A case study for multi-celled CFST walls

Steel-concrete composite walls have been widely used as seismic resistant members, and their ductile behavior under cyclic loads is of great concerns. The ductility factor is a key parameter for evaluating the ductile behavior of lateral resisting members, and it could be obtained from cyclic tests of the composite walls, in which vertical pre-compressive and horizontal cyclic loads are applied. In the conventional method of obtaining ductility factor, the P–Δ effect is commonly involved in the procedure of skeleton curve processing. However, in the structural design software, such as PKPM, YJK, MIDAS and ETABS, the P–Δ effect is regarded as an independent option when setting up the structural model. To avoid repeated consideration of the P–Δ effect, the ductility factor that is input into the structural design software should exclude the P–Δ effect. In this paper, a method for modifying the experimental ductility factor is proposed by considering a specific type of composite wall, i.e. the multi-celled CFST wall (MCFSTW). The proposed method includes two phases: (1) the modification of skeleton curve by excluding the P–Δ effect and rigid-body rotation of foundation; (2) the derivation of yield coefficient α. According to the method, seven skeleton curves measured from cyclic tests of MCFSTWs are modified, and the ductility factors are acquired to be more suitable for practical structural designs. Finally, a refined finite element (FE) model is established. After comparing the modified test curves with the numerical curves, the proposed method is proved to be reliable.

Experimental and numerical study on post-ultimate ductile performance of multi-celled concrete-filled steel tubular walls

As a novel steel-concrete composite wall, the multi-celled concrete-filled steel tubular wall (MCFSTW) has been applied in a substantial number of mid- and high-rise building structures due to its excellent in-plane lateral resistance, sufficient out-of-plane stability capacity, good bearing capacity and convenience in construction. In this paper, six groups of single-cellular members of MCFSTW were tested under axial compression to investigate the post-ultimate ductile performance of MCFSTW. In the process of analyzing experimental data, residual strength and ductility indexes were used to quantify the post-ultimate performance of MCFSTW. It was found that as the width-to-thickness ratio increased, the residual strength and ductility indexes decreased. Then, a refined finite element (FE) model for MCFSTW was established by using the software Abaqus. After comparing the results obtained from the refined FE model with the experimental results in this paper and other literature, the validated FE model was used to further investigate the effect of changing different parameters (concrete strength, steel properties and sectional dimensions) on the post-ultimate ductile performance of MCFSTW. After detailed analysis, the ductility and residual resistance indexes of MCFSTW were found to be linearly correlated with the confinement coefficient. Finally, the prediction formulas of residual resistance and ductility indexes were proposed and they can be used in engineering practice.

Response of axial-loaded steel-concrete composite walls under low-velocity impact

Steel-concrete (SC) composite walls consisting of two external steel plates and sandwiched concrete core have been employed in various engineering structures such as nuclear facilities, protective structures and high-rise buildings. Impact resistance performance is an important aspect for designing this type of structures. This paper experimentally and numerically studies the low-velocity impact response of axial-loaded SC composite walls. A total of six SC composite walls were fabricated and tested by using drop hammer to obtain damage mode, impact force and mid-span deformation. Effects of impact height (impact energy), steel plate thickness, shear connector type and axial-load ratio were analyzed. The specimens experienced severe local indentation at the impact location. As the axial-load level increased from 0 to 0.2, the indentation area, concrete cracking and global deformation was reduced, indicating the axial-load could effectively enhance the impact-resistant capacity of the SC walls. Additionally, finite element (FE) models were developed and validated using test data. The verified numerical models were then employed to analyze the impact process and energy dissipation mechanism as well as the influences of key parameters on the dynamic responses. After that, a simplified formula was suggested to estimate the maximum mid-span deformation of SC composite walls under impact loading.

Performance of double-skin truss-reinforced composite wall under axial compression

In order to improve the buckling capacity of double steel concrete composite wall (DSCW), a new-type of double-skin truss-reinforced composite wall (DSTCW) with steel truss used as stiffeners was proposed. In total, 7 DSTCWs were loaded axially, and the variables included steel truss joint spacing and rebar diameter. The effects of those variations on the axial load-displacement curve, ultimate strength and failure mode were discussed. The results showed that the steel truss significantly improved the ability of steel plate to resist local buckling, and enhanced the composite action between steel plate and concrete. The larger steel truss joint spacing reduced the ultimate bearing capacity of the DSTCWs under axial compression, and the rebar could effectively resist the deformation of steel plates on both sides. Based on the test results, the finite element (FE) models were established and verified to discuss the working mechanism of DSTCWs, and an extensive parametric analysis was performed to find the key parameters on the mechanical behavior of DSTCWs. Formula for predicting the axial load capacity of DSTCWs was proposed.

Flexural test for steel-concrete composite walls (aspect ratio 2.0) with steel U-Section boundary element

For high structural performance and constructability, a steel–concrete composite wall with boundary elements of steel U-section was developed. In the present study, cyclic lateral loading tests were performed to investigate the flexural performance of the proposed walls. Test parameters were the type of boundary element, area of steel U-section, and type of web reinforcement. The boundary steel U-section not only provided high flexural strength, but also provided lateral confinement to the boundary concrete and restrained shear sliding of the web concrete. Thus, the flexural strength, deformation capacity, and energy dissipation were significantly greater than those of the counterpart RC wall with conventional boundary reinforcement. Such advantages were pronounced when steel U-section with larger area was used. Further, the use of steel plate beams restrained diagonal cracking and spalling of the web concrete, thus improving the deformation capacity. As strain hardening stress after yielding was developed in the boundary steel section, the strength of the test specimens exceeded the nominal flexural strength based on plastic stress distribution.

Progress and challenges in double skin steel–concrete composite walls: a review

Progress and challenges in double skin steel–concrete composite walls: a review

Global stability tests and design of multi-celled concrete-filled steel tubular walls

As an innovative steel-concrete composite wall, multi-celled concrete-filled steel tubular wall (MCFSTW) has been widely used in engineering practice. At present, research on the MCFSTWs mainly focuses on seismic performance, and studies on global buckling behavior are rarely reported. In this paper, an experimental and numerical study on the global buckling behavior of MCFSTWs is conducted. Firstly, three slender wall specimens are tested under axial compression. The test results are analyzed and discussed. Secondly, a refined finite element (FE) model is established to study the global buckling behavior of MCFSTWs. On one hand, the FE model is validated by comparing the numerical results and test results. On the other hand, a parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of several parameters on the global buckling behavior of MCFSTWs. Involved parameters include geometric dimensions and material properties. Based on the FE results, it is seen that existing stability design curves from various standards are not suitable for MCFSTWs. Finally, a stability design curve is proposed by fitting the FE results. The comparison between the proposed curve and test results shows that the proposed curve can precisely predict the global stability capacities of MCFSTWs under axial compression.

Performance of concrete-filled double-skin shallow-corrugated steel plate composite walls under axial compression

This research introduces a steel-concrete composite wall, namely the concrete-filled double-skin shallow-corrugated steel plate composite wall (CDSCW). It is composed of one concrete-filled double-skin shallow-corrugated steel plate wall (CDSW) and rectangular concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns arranged on the sides of the wall, where the shallow-corrugated steel plates in the CDSW are featured with low energy consumption in production. Full-scale tests are conducted on the compressive behaviour of CDSCWs. Numerical models are also established for further investigation. Based on the extensive parametric study, formulas for the resistance of cross-section to compression, equivalent slenderness ratio, stability coefficient, as well as the resistance of composite wall in axial compression are proposed. It verifies that the proposed formulas are safe and reliable for the resistance prediction of CDSCWs.

Cyclic Loading Test for Composite Walls with U-Shaped Steel Boundary Elements

A steel–concrete composite wall with boundary elements of steel U-section was developed for high structural performance and efficient use of materials. Cyclic lateral loading tests were performed on the proposed walls to investigate the flexural and shear performances. The test parameters included the failure mode of specimens, type of boundary reinforcement, sectional area of steel U-sections, horizontal web reinforcement ratio, and wall thickness. In the flexural yielding specimens, the flexural strengths of the proposed walls were equivalent to those of conventional reinforced concrete (RC) walls with boundary elements of vertical rebars, even though the yield strength of steel plates was 24% less than that of rebars. Further, the use of steel U-sections increased displacement ductility and energy dissipation, providing lateral confinement to the boundary concrete and restraining shear cracking and sliding. In the shear failure-mode specimens, the use of steel U-sections increased the diagonal tension-shear strength of walls. Thus, the shear strength of the composite walls was greater than that of conventional RC walls. The existing design method of JGJ 138 reasonably predicted the shear strength of the proposed composite walls, considering the contribution of boundary steel U-sections.

Quasi static behavior of specially shaped columns composed of concrete-filled steel tube frame-double steel concrete composite walls

This paper proposes a new structure suitable for high-rise buildings that combines specially shaped columns composed of concrete-filled steel tube (SCFST) frames and double steel concrete (DSC) composite walls. To investigate the quasi-static behavior of the structure, three 1:2 specimens with two stories were tested. The failure modes and effects of the form of boundary elements on the behavior of the structure were studied. The experimental results indicate that the structure exhibits good hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation capacity, and ductility. The form of boundary elements has a significant influence on the quasi-static behavior of the structure. A finite element analysis model with the function of deleting failure elements was proposed based on the experimental results. The analysis of the model shows that the aspect ratio, thickness of the steel plate, and form of the boundary element have a significant influence on the lateral bearing capacity and deformation of the structure, whereas the axial compression ratio has less influence. A skeleton curve model was proposed based on the finite element analysis results.

Effects of out-of-plane eccentric axial compression on in-plane hysteretic behavior of SC walls

Steel-concrete composite (SC) walls may be subjected to simultaneous in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) loads in some civil and industrial buildings. However, there are few studies and no design guideline for SC walls under such load conditions. In this paper, four SC wall specimens were designed and tested to investigate the effects of OOP loading on IP hysteretic behavior. During the experiment, a constant eccentric axial compressive force was applied to the top of the specimen, which generated an OOP bending moment. The variables considered in the experiments were the eccentric distance and the axial compression ratio. All four specimens demonstrated characteristics of the flexural failure mode. The IP bearing capacity and deformation capacity of the specimens were significantly reduced due to the influence of OOP loading. A nonlinear analysis program based on fiber model method was presented to calculate the IP and OOP bearing capacity under different load combinations. An interaction surface, N-Mx-My, and a simplified formula were developed as a simplistic tool to consider simultaneous IP and OOP bending moment.

The effects of shear deformation in non-rectangular steel reinforced concrete structural walls

Steel reinforced concrete composite (SRC) structural walls with embedded steel profiles have superb flexural strength and stiffness, which may lead to a more distinct influence on the shear deformation in these walls. If the walls have flanged sections, substantial influences of the shear lag effect could be expected. This paper investigates the portion of shear deformation and influences of the shear lag effect in non-rectangular composite structural wall with different design parameters by finite element method. Methods for calculating the portion of shear deformation and shear lag effect in design are proposed based on a truss analogy. The study shows that a large portion of shear deformation exists for steel-concrete composite walls, which could account for more than 40% of the total deformation while vertical strain of the steel profiles at end of the flange of SRC walls is significantly smaller than assumed by plane section assumption. These effects can be captured reasonably by the proposed methods.