Experimental and numerical study on axial compression and confinement of concrete-filled aluminum tube columns
Liangzhi Wang,Bing Li,Songlin Li,Bo Zhou,Jiaxu Li
Abstract
This study investigates the axial compression behavior of circular Concrete-Filled Aluminum Tube (CFAT) short columns, emphasizing the influence of the confinement effect coefficient. Sixteen specimens fabricated from 6063-T5 and 6061-T6 aluminum alloys were tested, demonstrating effective composite action with concrete. Specimens failed primarily by buckling or shear: buckling failures occurred when the confinement effect coefficient exceeded 0.91, whereas low coefficients below 0.31 combined with diameter-to-thickness ratios (D/t) ≥ 50 led to large diagonal cracks and poor ductility. Finite element analysis showed minimal interaction between aluminum tube and concrete in the elastic stage, which increased gradually in the inelastic phase. The ultimate load capacity rose by up to 26.48% and 33.25% with increases in concrete strength and tube wall thickness, respectively. Due to aluminum's relatively low elastic modulus, introducing the confinement reduction factor (kal) and modulus reduction coefficient (ka) into existing Concrete-Filled Steel Tube (CFST) formulas significantly improved accuracy, aligning predictions with experiments. Theoretical analysis further indicates that when the aluminum content ratio (a) is below 0.1, ka approximates 1, allowing direct calculation using CFST theory without reduction. These results provide valuable theoretical guidance for the design and engineering application of CFAT short columns.
Key Words
axial compression behavior; concrete-filled aluminum alloy tube; confinement effect coefficient; finite element analysis; modulus of elasticity reduction coefficient
Address
Liangzhi Wang — 1)School of Civil Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China 2)Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
Bing Li — School of Civil Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
Songlin Li — School of Civil Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
Bo Zhou — School of Civil Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
Jiaxu Li — School of Management, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
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