Strength and ductility of high strength concrete-filled steel tubular beam-columns

The ultimate strength and ductility of high strength thin-walled concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) beam–columns with local buckling effects, are investigated in this paper, using a performance-based analysis (PBA) technique. The PBA technique accounts for the effects of geometric imperfections, residual stresses, strain hardening, local buckling and concrete confinement on the behavior of high strength thin-walled CFST beam–columns. The accuracy of the PBA technique is further examined by comparisons with experimental results. The PBA program is employed to study the effects of depth-to-thickness ratio, concrete compressive strengths, steel yield strengths and axial load levels on the stiffness, strength and ductility of high strength thin-walled CFST beam–columns under combined axial load and biaxial bending. The results obtained indicate that increasing the depth-to-thickness ratio and axial load levels significantly reduces the stiffness, strength and ductility of CFST beam–columns. Increasing concrete compressive strengths increases the stiffness and strength, but reduces the axial ductility and section performance of CFST beam–columns. Moreover, the steel yield strength has a significant effect on the section and strength performance of CFST beam–columns but does not have a significant effect on their axial and curvature ductility.