Behaviours of circular CFDST with stainless steel external tube: Slender columns and beams

Abstract

In this work, experimental and numerical investigations were performed on the behaviours of circular concrete filled double steel tubular (CFDST) slender columns and beams, in which the external tube employed stainless steel tube. Eighteen specimens, 12 slender columns and 6 beams, were tested to obtain the failure patterns, load versus deflection relationships and strain developments of stainless steel tube. A finite element (FE) model was developed and verified by experimental results. The validated FE model was then employed to investigate the effects of key parameters, including hollow ratio, eccentric ratio and material strength, on the load-carrying capacity. The load distribution among the components and contact stress between steel tube and sandwiched concrete were also analyzed. Finally, the design methods for CFDST, hollow CFST and solid CFST members with carbon steel external tube respectively suggested by Han et al. (2018), Chinese GB 50936-2014 (2014) and AISC 360-16 (2016) were employed to evaluate their applicability for the circular CFDST slender columns and beams with stainless steel outer tube.