• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.759-772
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• 2022

Concrete-filled double skinned steel tubular (CFDST) columns have been used to construct modern structures such as tall buildings and bridges as well as infrastructures as they provide better, lesser weight, and greater stiffness in structural performance than conventional reinforced concrete or steel members. Different shapes of CFDST columns may be needed to satisfy the architectural and aesthetic criteria. In the study, three-dimensional FE simulations of circular and elliptical CFDST columns under axial compression were developed and verified through the experimental test data from the perspectives of full load-displacement histories, ultimate axial strengths, and failure modes. The verified FE models were used to investigate and compare the structural performance of CFDST columns with circular and elliptical cross-section shapes by evaluating the overall load-deformation curves, interaction stress-deformation responses, and composite actions of the column. At last, the accuracy of available design models in predicting the ultimate axial strengths of CFST columns were investigated. Research results showed that circular and elliptical CFDST column behaviors were generally similar. The overall structural performance of circular CFDST columns was relatively improved compared to the elliptical CFDST column.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.587-606
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• 2012

Concrete-filled-steel-tubular (CFST) columns have been well proven to improve effectively the strength, stiffness and ductility of concrete members. However, the central part of concrete in CFST columns is not fully utilised under uni-axial compression, bending and torsion. It has small contribution to both flexural and torsion strength, while it can be replaced effectively by steel with smaller area to give similar load-carrying capacity. Also, the confining pressure in CFST columns builds up slowly because the initial elastic dilation of concrete is small before micro-crackings of concrete are developed. From these observations, it is convinced that the central concrete can be effectively replaced by another hollow steel tube with smaller area to form double-skinned concrete-filled-steel-tubular (CFDST) columns. In this study, a series of uni-axial compression tests were carried out on CFDST and CFST columns with and without external steel rings. From the test results, it was observed that on average that the stiffness and elastic strength of CFDST columns are about 25.8% and 33.4% respectively larger than CFST columns with similar equivalent area. The averaged axial load-carrying capacity of CFDST columns is 7.8% higher than CFST columns. Lastly, a theoretical model that takes into account the confining effects of steel tube and external rings for predicting the uni-axial load-carrying capacity of CFDST columns is developed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.88 no.3
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• pp.287-299
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• 2023

This article describes experimental and numerical analyses of eccentrically loaded over the axially loaded circular concrete filled double-skinned steel tubular (CFDST) short columns. Tests on circular CFDST short columns under eccentric and concentric loading were conducted to assess their responses to the frequent intensity of 5-30 mm at the interval of each 5 mm eccentric loading conditions with constant cross-sectional proportions and width-to-thickness ratios of the outside and internal tubes. The non-linear finite-element analysis of circular CFDST short columns of eccentrically loaded over the axially loaded was performed using the ABAQUS to predict the structural behavior and compare the concentric loading capacity over the various eccentric loading conditions. The comparison outcomes show that the axial compressive strength of the circular CDFST short columns was 2.38-32.86%, lesser than the concentrically loaded short column with the inner circular section. Also, the influence of computer simulation employed is more efficient in forecasting the experimentally examined performance of circular CFDST stub columns.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.577-598
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• 2018

The imperfect steel-concrete interface bonding is an important deficiency of the concrete-filled double skin tubular (CFDST) columns that led to separating concrete and steel surfaces under lateral loads and triggering buckling failure of the columns. To improve this issue, it is proposed in this study to use longitudinal and transverse steel stiffeners in CFDST columns. CFDST columns with different patterns of stiffeners embedded in the interior or exterior surfaces of the inner or outer tubes were analyzed under constant axial force and reversed cyclic loading. In the finite element modeling, the confinement effects of both inner and outer tubes on the compressive strength of concrete as well as the effect of discrete crack for concrete fracture were incorporated which give a realistic prediction of the seismic behavior of CFDST columns. Lateral strength, stiffness, ductility and energy absorption are evaluated based on the hysteresis loops. The results indicated that the stiffeners had determinant role on improving pinching behavior resulting from the outer tube's local buckling and opening/closing of the major tensile crack of concrete. The lateral strength, initial stiffness and energy absorption capacity of longitudinally stiffened columns with fixed-free end condition were increased by as much as 17%, 20% and 70%, respectively. The energy dissipation was accentuated up to 107% for fixed-guided end condition. The use of transverse stiffeners at the base of columns increased energy dissipation up to 35%. Axial load ratio, hollow ratio and concrete strength affecting the initial stiffness and lateral strength, had negligible effect of the energy dissipation of the columns. It was also found that the longitudinal stiffeners and transverse stiffeners have, respectively, negative and positive effects on ductility of CFDST columns. The conclusions, drawn from this study, can in turn, lead to the suggestion of some guidelines for the design of CFDST columns.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.667-686
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• 2014

Tapered concrete filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) columns have been used in China for structures such as electricity transmission towers. In practice, the bearing capacity related to the connection details on the top of the column is not fully understood. In this paper, the experimental behaviour of tapered CFDST stub columns subjected to axial partial compression is reported, sixteen specimens with top endplate and ten specimens without top endplate were tested. The test parameters included: (1) tapered angle, (2) top endplate thickness, and (3) partial compression area ratio. Test results show that the tapered CFDST stub columns under axial partial compression behaved in a ductile manner. The axial partial compressive behaviour and the failure modes of the tapered CFDST stub columns were significantly influenced by the parameters investigated. Finally, a simple formula for predicting the cross-sectional capacity of the tapered CFDST sections under axial partial compression is proposed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.82 no.5
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• pp.643-650
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• 2022

In this paper a novel mathematical model and its analytical solution of global buckling behaviour of slender elastic concrete-filled double-skin tubular (CFDST) columns with finite compliance between the steel tubes and a sandwiched concrete core is derived for the first time. The model is capable of investigating the influence of various basic parameters on critical buckling loads of CFDST columns. It is shown that the elastic buckling load of circular and slender CFDST columns is independent on longitudinal contact stiffness, but, on the other hand, it can be considerably dependent on circumferential contact stiffness. The increasing of the circumferential contact stiffness increases the critical buckling load. Furthermore, it is shown that analytical results can agree well with the experimental and numerical results if the calibrated values of circumferential contact stiffness are used in the calculations. Moreover, it is shown that the contact between the steel tubes and a sandwiched concrete core of tested large-scale CFDST columns used in the comparison is relatively weak. Finally, the proposed analytical results can be used as a benchmark solution.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.141-154
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• 2022

This paper describes the experimental and numerical investigation on circular and octagonal CFDST short columns under concentric loading to study their responses to various internal circular steel tube sizes by the constant cross-sectional dimensions of the external circular and octagonal steel tube. The non-linear finite element analysis of circular and octagonal CFDST columns was executed using the ABAQUS to forecast and compare the axial behavior influenced by the various sizes of internal circular steel tubes. The study shows that the axial compressive strength and ductility of circular and octagonal CFDST columns were significantly influenced by inner steel tubes with the strengths of constituent materials.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.689-706
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• 2022

Thin-walled square concrete-filled double steel tubular (CFDST) columns composed of the inner circular tube filled with concrete can be used to carry the large axial loads or strengthen existing CFST columns in composite constructions. This paper reports an experimental program carried out on short square CFDST columns loaded concentrically. The influences of important column parameters on the post-buckling performance of such columns are investigated. Test results exhibit that the inner circular tube significantly improves the ultimate loads and the ductility of such columns compared to conventional concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) and double-skin CFST (DCFST) columns with an inner void. A mathematical model developed is used to simulate the ultimate strengths and load-strain curves of such columns loaded axially. Furthermore, the ultimate strengths of such columns are predicted using existing codified design models for conventional CFST columns as well as the formulas proposed by previous researchers and compared against a large database comprising 500 CFDST columns. Lastly, an accurate artificial neural network model is developed for the practical applications of such columns under axial loading.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.533-549
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• 2020

Recently, Concrete-filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) columns have proven an exceptional structural resistance in terms of strength, stiffness, and ductility. However, the resistance of these column members can be severely affected by the type of loading in which bending stresses increase in direct proportion with axial load and eccentricity value. This paper presents a non-linear finite element based modeling approach that studies the behavior of slender CFDST columns under biaxial loading. Finite element models were calibrated based on the outcomes of experimental work done by other researchers. Results from simulations of slender CFDST columns under axial loading eccentric in one direction showed good agreement with the experimental response. The calibrated models are expanded to a total of thirty models that studies the behavior of slender CFDST columns under combined compression and biaxial bending. The influences of parameters that are usually found in practice are taken into consideration in this paper, namely, eccentricity-to-diameter (e/D) ratios, slenderness ratios, diameter-to-thickness (D/t) ratios, and steel contribution ratios. Finally, an analytical study based on current code provisions is conducted. It is concluded that South African national standards (2011) provided the most accurate results contrasted with the Eurocode 4 (2004) and American Institute of Steel Construction (2016) that are found to be conservative. Accordingly, correction factors are proposed to the current design guidelines to provide more satisfactory results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.803-818
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• 2020

Semi-rigid connections with blind bolts could solve the difficulty that traditional high strength bolts were unavailable to splice a steel/composite beam to a closed section column. However, insufficient investigations have focused on the performance of semi-rigid connection to square concrete filled double-skin steel tubular (CFDST) columns. In this paper, a component model was developed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of semi-rigid composite connections to CFDST columns considering the stiffness and strength of column face in compression and column web in shear which were determined by the load transfer mechanism and superstition method. Then, experimental investigations on blind bolted composite joints to square CFDST columns were conducted to validate the accuracy of the component model. Dominant failure modes of the connections were analyzed and this type of joint behaved semi-rigid manner. More importantly, strain responses of CFDST column web and tubes verified that stiffness and strength of column face in compression and column web in shear significantly affected the connection mechanical behavior owing to the hollow part of the cross-section for CFDST column. The experimental and analytical results showed that the CFDST column to steel-concrete composite beam semi-rigid joints could be employed for the assembled structures in high intensity seismic regions.