Performance of Concrete Filled Steel Tubular Columns

Recent advancements in the availability of higher strength steels, better coating materials for protection and high strengths/performance concretes have expanded the scope of concrete filled steel composite columns with wide ranging applications in various structural systems with ease of construction, highly increased strengths and better performance. This experimental study is carried out on the behavior of short, concrete filled steel tubular columns axially loaded in compression to failure. Three dimensional confinement effect of concrete along with support provided by concrete to the thin walls of steel tube to prevent local buckling had a composite effect on the strength of the composite column increasing the compressive strengths by almost 300 to 400%. In addition to the concrete core, the parameters for the testing were shape of the steel tube and its diameter-to-thickness ratio. It has been observed that ultimate strength of concrete filled steel tubes under concentric compression behavior is considerably affected by the thickness of the steel tube, as well as by the shape of its cross section. Confining effect in circular CFST columns improves their strength, appreciably. The axial load-deformation behavior of columns is remarkably affected by the cross-sectional shape, diameter/width-to-thickness ratio of the steel tube, and the strength of the filled concrete. The load deformation relationship for circular columns showed strain-hardening or elastic perfectly plastic behavior after yielding.