Bolted Built-Up Columns Constructed of High-Strength Steel under Combined Flexure and Compression

AbstractNew high-strength structural steel, named H-SA700, is utilized to achieve a structural system that enables continuous use after very large earthquakes. Columns are built up of H-SA700 plates using bolts only, and bolted connections are adopted extensively for easier replacement or reuse of structural components. An analytical study is performed to predict three distinctive local buckling modes of the column and estimate its elastic flexural stiffness, yield strength, and maximum strength subjected to combined flexure and compression. Cyclic loading behavior of the column is examined through five half-scale specimens, which vary with axial force, bolt pitch, and loading direction (about major or minor axis). The columns achieve a very large elastic rotation, approximately 0.02 rad at the axial force ratio of 0.2, and a maximum bending strength surpassing the plastic moment of the reduced section accounting for bolt holes without fracture. The proposed equations predict the local buckling modes well...