Study of the longitudinal reinforcement in reinforced concrete-filled steel tube short column subjected to axial loading

Experimental and analytical studies were conducted to clarify the influencing mechanisms of the longitudinal reinforcement on performance of axially loaded Reinforced Concrete-Filled Steel Tube (R-CFST) short columns. The longitudinal reinforcement ratio was set as parameter, and 10 R-CFST specimens with five different ratios and three ConcreteFilled Steel Tube (CFST) specimens for comparison were prepared and tested. Based on the test results, the failure modes, load transfer responses, peak load, stiffness, yield to strength ratio, ductility, fracture toughness, composite efficiency and stress state of steel tube were theoretically analyzed. To further examine, analytical investigations were then performed, material model for concrete core was proposed and verified against the test, and thereafter 36 model specimens with four different wall-thickness of steel tube, coupling with nine reinforcement ratios, were simulated. Finally, considering the experimental and analytical results, the prediction equations for ultimate load bearing capacity of R-CFSTs were modified from the equations of CFSTs given in codes, and a new equation which embeds the effect of reinforcement was proposed, and equations were validated against experimental data. The results indicate that longitudinal reinforcement significantly impacts the behavior of R-CFST as steel tube does; the proposed analytical model is effective and reasonable; proper ratios of longitudinal reinforcement enable the RCFSTs obtain better balance between the performance and the construction cost, and the range for the proper ratios is recommended between 1.0% and 3.0%, regardless of wall-thick