Research on load-bearing mechanism and estimation of steel tube-corrugated steel plate composite walls under axial compression

Abstract

The Steel tube-corrugated steel plate composite wall (STCPCW) is a novel structural component developed to resist shear forces induced by horizontal loads in high-rise buildings, while also requiring the capacity to support gravity loads that induce compression. To investigate its performance under axial compression, both experimental and numerical studies were conducted. Two STCPCW specimens with different widths of corrugated cell (b_w) were tested, both exhibiting cross-sectional failure. As the b_w increased from 500 mm to 1000 mm, the ductility index decreased by 45.7 %. A finite element model was developed to simulate the load-bearing mechanism of STCPCW under axial compression and was validated using the test results. Further numerical analysis revealed that the infilled concrete wall exhibited distinct behavior in response to the varying confinement provided by corrugated steel plates (CSPs). Once the equivalent width-to-thickness ratio of the CSPs reached 60, the confinement effect of the CSPs became minimal. Consequently, the axial compressive performance of the infilled concrete wall was evaluated under two scenarios. When the confinement is minimal, the load-bearing capacity of the infilled concrete wall is predominantly influenced by the configuration of the concrete wall and the strength of the concrete; when the confinement is effective, the confinement effect of the CSPs and steel tubes becomes the primary factor. Additionally, the reduction caused by insufficient ductility of the infilled concrete wall when calculating the load-bearing capacity of STCPCWs was assessed using a discount factor, β. Finally, a practical estimation of the load-bearing capacity of the STCPCWs under axial compression was proposed.