Behaviour of double skin composite construction

Abstract Double Skin Composite (DSC) or Steel–Concrete–Steel sandwich construction was first conceived over 14 years ago for use in submerged tube-tunnel construction in the UK [1] . More recently, British Steel plc (now Corus UK) have developed the original shear-stud concept to currently friction-weld round steel bars to both plates in a simultaneous operation. This process not only makes the units easy to handle, but also provides sufficient strength to resist the internal hydrostatic pressures due to fresh concrete. This product is called Bi-Steel. This paper outlines a programme of research conducted at City University, in which the elastic and plastic behaviour of a series of 16 large-scale, simply supported, three-point bending tests were investigated [2] . These tests compare existing and new construction methods, and were conducted until collapse due to local buckling of the compression plate. The test programme is supported by a series of analytical solutions covering the elastic and plastic performance of the specimens.