Horizontal Hysteretic Behavior of Circular Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Columns with Ultra-Large Diameter-to-Thickness Ratios

Abstract

Thin-walled concrete-filled steel tubes are efficient and economical with promising applications in civil and light industrial buildings. However, their local buckling resistance and deformation capacity are low, which adversely affects the seismic safety of structures. There are relatively few studies on thin-walled concrete-filled steel tubular columns with ultra-large diameter-to-thickness ratios, and there is also a lack of relevant experimental research on them. In this study, horizontal hysteresis tests were conducted on concrete columns with a large diameter-to-thickness ratio. The seismic performances of regular and straight-ribbed specimens were analyzed and compared, including the analyses of load-displacement hysteresis curves, strain distribution, skeleton curves, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity. Using these results, a restoring force model for concrete columns with a large diameter-to-thickness ratio was established. The findings indicate that under horizontal loading, the ductility of concrete columns with a regular thin-walled steel tube is 3.9, with an equivalent viscous damping coefficient of 1.65. Meanwhile, the ultimate bearing capacity is 201 kN. After adding stiffening ribs, the ultimate bearing capacity reaches 266 kN and the ductility coefficient reaches 4.4, resulting in the stiffeners increasing the ultimate bearing capacity and ductility by >30% and 12.8%, respectively. However, they have a less pronounced effect on deformation and energy dissipation. Building on these research outcomes, we propose a dimensionless three-line skeleton curve model and a restoring force model. The calculation results from these models align well with the test results, offering valuable insights for the seismic safety analysis of real-world engineering structures.