Experimental study on shear capacity of circular concrete filled steel tubes

Concrete filled steel tube (CFST) structures have recently seen wide use in China, but studies of the shear problem of CFST are inadequate. This paper presents an experimental study on the shear capacity of circular concrete filled steel tube (CCFT) specimens with and without axial compression force. Shear capacity, ductility, and damage modes of CCFTs were investigated and compared. Test results revealed the following: 1) CCFTs with a small shear span ratio may fail in shear in a ductile manner; 2) Several factors including section size, material properties, shear span ratio, axial compression ratio, and confinement index affect the shear capacity of CCFTs. Based on test results and analysis, this paper proposes a design formula for the shear capacity of CCFTs.