Numerical analysis of CFST-RC composite shear wall under axial compression and cyclic loads

The concrete-filled steel tube reinforced concrete (CFST-RC) composite shear wall is a new structure utilising the advantages of a reinforced concrete shear wall and CFST column. The finite element (FE) model for CFST-RC shear walls was validated by experimentation. Under the axial compression and cyclic loads, the mechanical properties were studied by changing the structure and material. Numerical simulation results indicate that compared with the concrete inside the tube, the concrete outside the tube can better limit the deformation of the steel tube, so it significantly affects the axial compression performance. Compared with the concrete, the steel tubes can effectively improve the seismic performance. However, when the steel content and steel tube strength increase to a certain value, the seismic performance decreases due to the synergistic effect of the concrete and the steel tube. Finally, a simple method for calculating the elastic modulus of shear walls is proposed based on the theory of composite materials. From the FE simulation results, the influencing factors of axial compression and seismic performance of CFST-RC shear walls with different parameters were also analysed, which can provide technical support for the design of shear walls and their safe application in practical engineering.