Composite action of hollow concrete-filled circular steel tubular stub columns

To better understand the influence of hollow ratio on the hollow concrete-filled circular steel tubular (H-CFT) stub columns under axial compression and to propose the design formula of ultimate bearing capacity for H-CFT stub columns, 3D finite element analysis and laboratory experiments were completed to obtain the load-deformation curves and the failure modes of H-CFT stub columns. The changes of the confinement effect between core concrete and steel tube with different hollow ratios were discussed based on the finite element results. The result shows that the axial stress of concrete and hoop stress of steel tube in H-CFT stub columns are decreased with the increase of hollow ratio. After the yield of steel, the reduction rate of longitudinal stress and the increase rate of circumferential stress for the steel tube slowed down. The confinement effect from steel tube on concrete also weakened slowly with the increase of hollow ratio. Based on the limit equilibrium method, a simplified formula of ultimate bearing capacity for the axially loaded H-CFT stub columns was proposed. The predicted results showed satisfactory agreement with the experimental and numerical results.