Seismic behavior of full-scale square concrete filled steel tubular columns under high and varied axial compressions

A building structural system of moment resisting frame (MRF) with concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) columns and wide flange H beams, is one of the most conveniently constructed structural systems. However, there were few studies on evaluating seismic performance of full-scale CFST columns under high axial compression. In addition, some existing famous design codes propose various limits of width-to-thickness ratio (B/t) for steel tubes of the ductile CFST composite members. This study was intended to investigate the seismic behavior of CFST columns under high axial load compression. Four full-scale square CFST column specimens with a B/t of 42 were carried out that were subjected to horizontal cyclic-reversal loads combined with constantly light, medium and high axial loads and with a linearly varied axial load, respectively. Test results revealed that shear strength and deformation capacity of the columns significantly decreased when the axial compression exceeded 0.35 times the nominal compression strength of a CFST column, P0. It was obvious that the higher the axial compression, the lower both the shear strength and deformation capacities were, and the earlier and faster the shear strength degradation occurred. It was found as well that higher axial compressions resulted in larger initial lateral stiffness and faster degradation of post-yield lateral stiffness. Meanwhile, the lower axial compressions led to better energy dissipation capacities with larger cumulative energy. Moreover, the study implied that under axial compressions greater than 0.35P0, the CFST column specimens with B/t limits recommended by AISC 360 (2016), ACI 318 (2014), AIJ (2008) and EC4 (2004) codes do not provide ultimate interstory drift ratio of more than 3% radian, and only the limit in ACI 318 (2014) code satisfies this requirement when axial compression does not exceed 0.35P0.